ii 


WESTERN  FLOWER  GUIDE 


WESTERN  FLOWER  GUIDE 

WILD  FLOWERS  OF  THE  ROCKIES 
AND  WEST  TO  THE  PACIFIC 

BY 

CHARLES  FRANCIS  SAUNDERS 

Author  of  "With  the  Flowers  and  Trees  in  California,"  etc. 


Illustrated  with  250  drawings  in  color 

GARDEN  CITY  NEW  YORK 

DOUBLEDAY,  PAGE  &  COMPANY 

1917 


xov° 


Copyright,  1917,  by 
DOUBLEDAY,  PAGE  &  COMPANY 

All  rights  reserved,  including  that  of 
, ,  c    translation  into  foreign  languages, 
•  \  .'  \  including  tk'  Scandinavian 


To  be  able  to  call  the  plants  by  name 
makes  them  a  hundredfold  more  sweet  and 
intimate.  Naming  things  is  one  of  the 
oldest  and  simplest  of  human  pastimes. 

—  HENRY  VAX  DYKE,  hi  "Little  Rivers." 


The  illustrations  for  this  book  were  prepared  by  the 
following  artists:  Herbert  Brown,  Jane  Donald,  Mary 
E.  Eaton,  Augusta  A.  Gleitsmann,  Abby  Reed  Hobgood, 
M.  R.  Perkins,  Maud  H.  Purdy  and  Bertha  F.  Taylor. 


PREFACE 


The  preparation  of  a  Pacific  Coast  Wild  Flower  Guide  oi  tne  present  small  Portions  has 
rallv  involved  a  large  exercise  of  elimination.  The  flowers  herein  illustrated  number  2oO,  and 
S  d^Icritions  h? non-technical  language  include  besides  these  a  few  more  whose  resem- 
bknS  to  c^rtTin  of  those  depicted  makes  identification  relatively  easy.  The  selection  of  the 
s,StSLrbetn  based  mainly  upon  the  hold  which  such  flowers  have  upon  the  popukr  heart 
on  tCpacmc  CoLraTdXo  to  soL  extent  by  the  part  they  have  played  in  the  human  life  of  the 
region  \  few  introduced  plants-not  uncommon  in  other  parts  of  the  world,  and  some  of  them 
ev?n  homely-have  been  included  in  the  descriptions,  because  their  abundance,  their  uses,  or  their 
habits  make  them  subjects  of  interest  to  travelers  and  the  general  student 

While  the  region  covered  in  the  Guide  is  principally  the  three  Coast  States  California  (^egon^ 
,nH  Washington  in  many  cases  the  plants  described  are  also  found  eastward  in  the  States  from 
Idaho^ S t °Ar£oS? andTLne  cLes  as  far  east  as  Colorado,  New  Mexico,  and  Texas.  Plains 
and valleys,  seS  and  mountains,  as  well  as  the  Southwestern  desert  region  (a  marvellously 
rich  floral  field  for  a  part  of  the  year)  are  represented. 

While  this  book  has  been  prepared  out  of  a  personal  acquaintance  of  many  years  with  th 
field  the  author  desires  to  acknowledge  his  indebtedness  tothe  fo  lowing  works  upon  which  he 
has  had  occasion  to  draw  for  special  descriptions  and  points-Gray  s  "Synoptica  Flora  of  North 
America"  Jeoson's  "Flora  of  California"  (in  course  of  publication),  Hall  s  Composite  of 
£oThern  CaKnia"  and  «  Yosemite  Flora,"  Parson's  "WM  Flowers  of  Califorma ,,'  Ar^trong  s 
"\Vestern  Wild  Flowers,"  Meehan's  "Native  Flowers  and  Ferns  of  the  United  States  and  the 
valuabS  monographs  of  Chestnut,  Coville,Havard,and  Barrows  on  the  Indian  uses  of  native  plants. 


WESTERN  FLOWER  GUIDE 


LILY  FAMILY  :    ;  ^ 

(Liliaceae) 

Usually  perennial  herbs,  with  regular  and  symmetrical 
flowers,  the  parts  almost  always  in  3's  or  multiples  of  .S  in- 
serted under  the  pistil.  Petals  and  sepals  are  generally  alike 
in  shape  and  color,  and  are  spoken  of  collectively  as  the 
perianth.  Fruit  a  pod  or  berry. 

MUILLA  (Muilla  serotina,  Greene).  A  sprightly  little 
flower  of  the  spring,  growing  in  grassy  places  in  the  plains  and 
foothills  of  Southern  California.  The  small,  wheel-shaped, 
6-parted  blossoms  are  greenish-white,  about  half  an  inch  across, 
and  disposed  in  umbels  of  40  to  70  flowers  each,  at  the  summit 
of  a  naked  stalk,  1  to  2  feet  tall,  rising  out  of  a  bulb.  Leaves 
all  basal,  about  as  long  as  the  flower  stalk,  and  very  narrow. 

There  is  another  and  less  attractive  species,  M.  maritima, 
Wats.,  with  5  to  15  blossoms  in  the  umbels,  found  about  salt 
marshes  and  in  alkaline  spots  of  Central  California  and 
Western  Nevada. 

The  name  Muilla  is  evidence  that  even  scientists  have  their 
playful  moods.     Backward  it  spells  Allium,  the  botanical  term 
for  onion,  to  which  Muilla  is  akin  though  lacking  its  odor. 
3 


iu.  PESERT  LILY  (Hesperocallis  undidatus,  Wats.).  This  is  a 
''charming  spring  flower  of  the  southwestern  desert  region,  oc- 
Qurrjngilrom  the  Sal  ton  Sink,  California,  eastward  into  Ari- 
zona; and  southward  into  Mexico.  Its  crinkly  basal  leaves,  a 
•foot  Song  and  about  half  an  inch  wide,  are  characteristic. 
From  their  midst  rises  a  stalk  to  the  neight  of  one  or  two  feet 
bearing  a  few  short  leaves  and  an  open  raceme  of  6  to  30  white, 
funnel-shaped  flowrers  suggesting  Easter  Lilies.  These  expand 
from  the  buds  on  successive  days  until  all  have  had  their  taste 
of  life.  The  buds  are  so  tenacious  of  this  privilege  that  they 
will  even  open  on  severed  stalks,  as  I  noticed  once  when  I  threw 
some  stems  with  their  unopened  buds  into  a  waste  corner  of 
my  garden.  There,  many  days  later,  I  discovered  them  bloom- 
ing quite  cheerfully — an  example  for  the  disheartened. 

The  deep-seated  bulbs  of  the  Desert  Lily  used  to  form  an 
item  of  importance  in  the  diet  of  the  Desert  Indians.  It  is, 
indeed,  closely  related  to  the  edible  Camass,  and  a  no-distant 
cousin  to  the  onion.  Dr.  D.  T.  MacDougal  has  recorded  that 
the  plant  is  reputed  responsible  for  the  name  of  the  Ajo  Moun- 
tains in  Southwestern  Arizona — ajo,  the  Spanish  for  garlic, 
being  also  the  term  locally  applied  to  the  Heeperocallis,  which 
is  very  abundant  in  that  vicinity. 
4 


WASHINGTON  LILY  (LUium  Washingtonianum,  Kellogg). 
Flowers  3  inches  long  or  more,  very  fragrant,  pure  white, 
becoming  purplish,  sometimes  finely  dotted,  2  to  20  or  even 
more  borne  in  a  pyramidal  raceme  on  a  stem  2  to  5  feet 
high.  Its  favorite  habitat  is  in  chaparral  or  open-forested 
hillsides,  mainly  on  the  western  slope  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  at 
3,000  to  6,000  feet  elevation,  though  it  has  been  collected  as 
far  north  as  the  Columbia  River  and  southward  to  San  Diego 
County.  It  is  met  with  in  the  Yosemite  region  though  not 
abundantly,  blooming  in  June  and  July. 

This  is  a  flower  of  such  compelling  charm  that  even  the 
'Forty-niners  forgot  their  interest  in  the  mad  rush  for  gold  long 
enough  to  observe  and  christen  it  the  Lady  Washington  Lily — • 
a  name  which  our  own  less  gallant  generation  has  curtailed  of 
its  feminine  tribute.  WTien  Doctor  Kellogg  later  described 
the  plant  for  science,  he  preserved  the  popular  appellation. 

A  somewhat  similar  lily,  with  rather  smaller  and  more  erect 
flowers,  is  occasionally  found  in  out-of-the-way  parts  of  the 
Coast  Range  north  of  San  Francisco — LUium  rubescens,  Wats., 
popularly  known  as  Chaparral  Lily  or  Redwood  Lily.  It 
sometimes  attains  a  height  of  7  feet.  Some  botanists  regard 
it  as  simply  a  variety  of  L.  Washingtonianum. 
5 


LEOPARD  LILY  (Lilium  pardaltnum,  Kellogg).  Flowers 
nodding,  bright  reddish-orange,  purple-spotted  on  the  lower 
part,  the  tips  strongly  rolled  back,  borne  in  summer  in  numbers 
varying  from  6  to  25  in  loose  pyramidal  clusters  that  top  stems 
from  3  to  7  feet  high  or  even  more.  The  lanceolate  leaves  are 
usually  in  whorls,  but  some  are  scattered.  A  mountain  plant, 
most  abundant  in  Central  and  Northern  California  in  damp 
ground  and  along  streams,  both  in  the  Coast  Ranges  and  the 
Sierras,  but  extending  north  to  British  Columbia.  It  is  often 
called  Tige.  Lily,  a  term  more  properly  applied  to  the  garden 
Lilium  tigrinum,  which  it  resembles. 

A  similar  Lily  abundant  in  the  canons  of  the  Southern  Cali- 
fornia mountains  as  well  as  in  the  Sierra  foothills  is  Hum- 
boldt's  Lily,  Lilium  Humboldtii,  R  &  L,  also  popularly  called 
Tiger  Lily.  The  flowers  are  rather  larger  than  the  Leopard 
Lily's  and  the  leaves  usually  in  4  to  6  whorls  of  10  to  20  each, 
and  wavy  margined.  There  is  also  a  radical  difference  in  the 
bulbs,  those  of  the  Humboldt  Lily  being  large,  from  2  to  6 
inches  thick,  while  the  Leopard  Lily  springs  from  mat-like 
masses  of  bulbs  formed  by  branchingroot  stalks.  In  the  north 
Humboldt's  Lily  affects  dry,  open  localities,  but  in  the  south 
it  is  found  in  dampish  brookside  tangles,  too. 
6 


FETID  ADDER'S  TONGUE  (Scoliopus  Bigelovii,  Torr.).  This 
stemless  plant  is  one  of  the  earliest  blossoms  of  the  year,  and 
may  be  looked  for  in  February  in  the  damp  redwood  forests 
from  San  Francisco  northward.  Out  of  the  heart  of  two  shiny 
green  leaves  blotched  with  brown,  growing  close  to  the  ground, 
rise  several  weakish  flower  stems  each  terminating  in  a  single 
flower  of  curious  aspect,  and  an  inch  or  so  broad.  The  sepals 
and  petals  are  markedly  distinct — the  three  former  lanceolate, 
spreading,  whitish,  striped  with  purple,  and  the  3  slender  linear 
petals  upright,  like  triple  antennae.  A  prominent  feature  of 
the  blossom  is  the  3-angled  ovary  tipped  with  3  spreading  style 
branches,  each  £  to  |  inch  long.  The  odd  beauty  of  the  little 
flowers  is  offset  by  a  disagreeable  odor  which  they  exhale. 
The  three-angled  seed  vessels,  suggesting  elongated  beechnuts  in 
shape  but  bearing  still  the  triple-lobed  stigma,  are  very  decor- 
ative, the  stems  then  becoming  tortuous.  The  specific  name 
is  given  in  honor  of  Dr.  John  M.  Bigelow,  the  botanist  who  dis- 
covered the  plant,  which  furnished  a  new  genus  to  science. 

In  the  Cascade  Mountains  of  Oregon  a  kindred  species,  but 
smaller  in  every  way,  S.  Hallii,  Wats.,  is  found. 


OUR  LORD'S  CANDLE  (Yucca  Whippld,  Torr.).  This  strik- 
ing plant,  common  in  the  chaparral  belt  of  the  Southern  Cali- 
fornia mountains  and  extending  eastward  to  Arizona,  is  an 
evergreen  hemisphere  of  bristling,  bayonet-like  leaves  set  close 
to  the  ground,  each  leaf  1  to  3  feet  long  and  terminating  in  a 
slender  spine.  Out  of  this  repellent  mass  arises  in  early  sum- 
mer a  stout  flower-stalk  to  the  height  of  10  to  15  feet,  breaking 
for  half  its  upper  length  into  a  huge  panicle  of  creamy-white 
(sometimes  purplish  tinted),  fragrant,  pendent  flowers. 
Such  gleaming  spikes,  visible  from  long  distances  projected 
against  the  dark  background  of  shaggy  hillsides,  are  a  char- 
acteristic sight  in  June  and  July  throughout  Southern  Cali- 
fornia, and  one  of  the  dramatic  scenes  in  Western  plant  life. 

After  the  flowers  pass  the  plant  dies,  but  an  examination  at 
the  base  usually  shows  thrifty  young  offsets  from  the  old  root. 
The  dead  flower  stalks,  pithy  and  light  of  weight,  are  turned 
to  some  account  by  curio  manufacturers,  the  cross  sections, 
for  instance,  making  serviceable  pincushions.  The  young 
flower  stalk  was  roasted  and  eaten  by  Indians. 

Spanish  Californians  call  the  plant  quidte  (kee-6-ta)  which 
seems  to  be  a  case  of  popular  transference,  as  quiotl  is  one  of 
the  Aztec  names  for  the  Agave,  or  Maguey. 


JOSHUA  TREE.  TREE  YUCCA  (Yucca  arborescens,  Ton-.). 
Flowers  white,  rather  ill-smelling,  and  borne  in  panicles  at 
the  branch  tips,  much  less  noticeable  than  the  plant  itself, 
which  is  a  small,  grotesque  tree,  sometimes  just  a  trunk  with 
an  odd  limb  or  two,  but  in  its  best  development  25  or  30  feet 
high,  with  numerous  angular,  clumsy  branches.  The  dagger- 
like  leaves  are  olive  green  bunched  at  the  extremities  of  the 
limbs,  and  at  first  stand  up  straight.  Gradually,  however, 
they  lose  their  uprightness,  and  when  dead  they  are  reflexed 
against  the  limb,  forming  a  brownish  thatch  which  is  a  protec- 
on  against  sand  and  hot  wind.  Desert  folk  call  it  Joshua 
Tree,  Yucca  Palm,  and  Yucca  Cactus — the  last  two  needlessly 
inaccurate,  for  it  is  neither  Palm  nor  Cactus,  and  is  a  Yucca. 

The  spongy,  fibrous  wood,  useless  for  ordinary  purposes,  is 
particularly  suited  for  the  manufacture  of  artificial  limbs  and 
surgeon's  splints,  and  within  the  last  couple  of  years  the  wood 
has  been  cut  in  great  quantities  to  be  used  in  the  war  hospitals 
of  Europe. 

The  tree  is  confined  to  parts  of  the  Mojave  Desert  of  Cali- 
fornia, Southern  Nevada,  and  Southwestern  Utah,  often  form- 
ing straggling  forests  on  the  arid  plains  and  hillsides. 


FAIRY  BELLS.  GOLD  DROPS  (Dtsporum  Menziesii,  Benth  & 
H.) .  Flowers  smallish,  white,  bell-shaped,  few  and  all  but  hid- 
den from  sight,  hanging  singly  or  2  together  on  slender,  axillary 
footstalks  beneath  the  leaves,  which  spread  like  a  roof  above 
them.  The  plant  is  perennial  and  its  general  habit  suggests 
the  familiar  Uvularia  or  Bellwort  of  the  Atlantic  Slope  and, 
like  it,  grows  in  the  rich,  moist  woods  of  spring.  The  graceful 
stems,  rising  from  a  slender  rootstalk,  spread  out  horizontally 
into  numerous  branches,  and  the  stalkless  somewhat  heart- 
shaped  leaves  all  lie  in  much  the  same  plane  with  one  another. 
It  is  a  trim,  well-groomed  looking  plant,  found  from  San  Fran- 
cisco to  British  Columbia.  The  popular  name,  GoldDrops,  is 
due  to  the  bright  salmon-colored  pear-shaped  berries,  \  inch 
long,  that  succeed  the  flowers. 

Scientists,  like  common  folk,  do  not  always  agree  upon  a 
Latin  name  acceptable  to  all  for  their  plants,  and  instead  of 
Disporum  there  are  botanists  who  prefer  Porsartes,  under  which 
name  our  flower  is  described  in  some  books.  There  are  5  or  6 
different  species  native  to  the  Pacific  Coast,  all  distinguished 
by  drooping,  more  or  less  hidden,  axillary  flowers,  and  bright- 
colored  berries. 


10 


vx 

CALIFORNIA  WAKE  ROBIN  (Trillium  sessile,  L.).  The  tril- 
liums  are  low-growing,  perennial  herbs  of  the  spring,  and  read- 
ily distinguished  by  their  stout,  naked  stems  bearing  at  the 
top  a  whorl  of  3  ample,  netted-veined  leaves  in  the  midst  of 
which  the  solitary  flower  opens.  In  T.  sessile  (a  widely  dis- 
tributed species,  represented  on  the  Pacific  Coast  by  a  robust 
form  which  botanists  designate  as  variety  calif ornicum),  the 
flower  is  stalkless  and  sits  upon  the  leaves,  which  are  more  or 
less  blotched  with  brown.  The  petals  are  from  1  to  4  inches 
long,  erect,  and  remarkable  for  their  variability  of  color,  usu- 
ally purple  or  dull  red,  but  even  found  white  or  greenish-yellow. 
The  California  Wake  Robin  is  met  with  in  moist  hillsides  and 
woods,  from  San  Diego  County,  California,  to  Oregon,  and 
blooms  from  March  until  May. 

A  less  common  species,  indigenous  to  the  Coast  Range 
woods  from  Santa  Cruz  northward  to  British  Columbia,  is 
T.  ovatum,  Pursh.  Its  fragrant  flowers  are  white,  eventually 
turning  to  rose,  and  are  borne  on  peduncles  1  to  3  inches  long. 


11 


GOLDEN  STABS  (Bloomeria  aurea,  Kellogg.)  This  is  a 
charming,  bulbous  plant  bearing  a  showy  umbel  of  sometimes 
as  many  as  60  star-like  flowers  (orange-yellow  with  a  dark 
double  mid-rib  and  sometimes  an  inch  across)  topping  a  scape 
6  to  18  inches  high.  It  is  frequent  on  the  mesas  and  foothills 
of  Southern  California  from  April  to  June,  and  might  be  mis- 
taken on  first  acquaintance  for  a  Brodisea.  The  essential 
difference  between  Bloomeria  and  Brodieea,  however,  is  that 
the  6  stamens  of  Bloomeria  arise  from  a  tiny  hairy  cup  formed 
by  cohering,  short  appendages  attached  to  the  base  of  the 
filaments.  It  is  a  plant  very  economical  of  foliage,  one  long, 
grass-like  leaf  being  sufficient  for  its  needs.  The  bulb  from 
which  it  springs  was  formerly  an  item  in  the  diet  of 
Southern  California  Indians. 

In  San  Diego  County,  California,  a  kindred  species,  B. 
Clevelandi,  Wats.,  is  found,  but  is  readily  distinguished  from 
B.  aurea  by  its  numerous  slenderer  leaves  and  the  green  nerves 
of  the  flowers.  Neither  is  it  so  showy. 

The  name  Bloomeria  was  given  in  honor  of  a  pioneer  bot- 
anist of  San  Francisco,  H.  G.  Bloomer. 


12 


v 

BRODLEA.  CALIFORNIA  HYACINTH  (Brodicea  capitata> 
Benth).  Flowers  deep  blue  to  lilac,  sometimes  almost  or 
quite  white,  in  a  compact,  head-like  umbel,  borne  at  the  top 
of  a  tortuous  leafless  stem  from  6  to  20  inches  high  or  more. 
Leaves  radical,  linear,  grass-like,  and  early  withering;  from  a 
small,  fibrous-coated,  solid  bulb,  which  is  edible. 

This  flower,  found  in  bloom  in  grassy  places  and  on  sunny 
hillsides  from  February  until  May,  throughout  California,  is 
almost  as  well  known  and  loved  as  the  California  Poppy. 
Its  popularity  is  attested  by  numerous  common  names,  cur- 
rent in  different  sections  of  the  state,  as  Cluster  Lily,  Cac- 
amita,  Grass-nuts  and  Wild  Onion — the  last  two  from  the  fact 
that  the  little  bulbs  have  been  eaten  from  time  immemorial 
by  Indians,  and  still  are  by  children  with  patience  to  dig  them 
up.  The  name  Brodisea  commemorates  an  old-time  Scotch 
botanist  and  plant  lover,  James  Brodie. 

The  cut  flowers  of  the  Brodisea  keep  a  long  time  in  water. 
Indeed,  they  can  be  counted  upon  to  preserve  their  freshness 
when  mailed  across  the  continent.  If  well  developed  buds — • 
not  open  flowers — are  selected  and  packed  immediately  in 
some  damp  wrapping,  they  will  stand  a  trip  of  5  or  6  days  in 
the  mail  bags,  and  expand  cheerfully  upon  being  set  in  water. 
13 


TWINING  WILD  HYACINTH  (Brodicea  voluUlis,  Baker). 
Flowers  pink  or  rose  color  without,  paler  within,  in  a  compact, 
many-flowered  umbel,  topping  a  contorted,  leafless,  vine-like 
stem.  Leaves  radical,  grass-like,  and  usually  prostrate,  1  to  2 
feet  long. 

The  Twining  Wild  Hyacinth  is  not  uncommon  in  the  Sierra 
Nevada  foothill  regions,  from  the  neighborhood  of  Yosemite 
to  Northern  California,  and  is  also  found  in  the  foothills  of  the 
Coast  Ranges,  blooming  in  summer.  The  remarkable  feature 
of  this  plant  is  its  odd  vine-like  stem,  which  clambers  over 
bushes  and  around  the  stems  of  other  plants,  to  the  length  some- 
times of  10  to  12  feet.  Miss  Parsons  in  her  excellent  book 
"The  Wild  Flowers  of  California,"  has  recorded  that  even  if 
the  stem  should  be  broken  off  at  the  ground  before  blossoming, 
the  process  of  flowering  goes  on  quite  undisturbed;  and  that 
people  often  bring  the  severed  stems  indoors,  where  they  can 
watch  the  interesting  phenomenon  of  growth,  allowing  them  to 
climb  over  the  curtains. 


14 


. 

HARVEST  BRODLEA  (Brodioea  grandiflora,  Smith).  Flowers 
blue,  an  inch  or  so  long,  funnel-shaped,  with  a  spreading  bor- 
der, like  small  blue  Lilies,  borne  in  a  loose  5-10  flowered  umbel, 
on  a  leafless  stalk  from  a  few  inches  in  height  to  a  foot  or  more. 
The  grass-like,  radical  leaves  usually  dry  up  and  vanish  before 
the  blossoms  come,  which  is  usually  in  May,  June,  and  July, 
when  the  hay  harvest  is  in  progress.  The  species  is  common 
in  fields,  grassy  hillsides,  and  woodland  glades  throughout 
Central  California  and  northward  through  Oregon  and  Wash- 
ington. The  solid  bulb  is  edible,  and  a  favorite  tidbit  with 
Indians.  After  slow  roasting  in  hot  ashes  it  becomes  sweet  and 
not  unpalatable. 

There  is  a  related  blue-flowered  species,  Brodiaa  laxa,  Benth, 
found  frequently  in  similar  situations,  but  this  plant  is  usually 
taller,  the  flowers  less  spreading,  more  numerous,  and  of  a 
papery  texture.  It,  too,  was  once  a  highly  prized  vegetable 
among  the  Indians  of  Northern  California,  and  the  use  of  the 
bulbs  for  food  gained  for  it  the  common  name  of  "Highland 
Potato"  in  some  sections.  A  more  poetic  common  name  for 
this  species  is  Ithuriel's  Spear,  though  the  appropriateness  is 
not  apparent.  It  has  been  collected  as  far  south  as  Los 
Angeles. 

15 


FIRECRACKER  FLOWER  (Brodicea  cocctnea,  Gray).  Flow- 
ers an  inch  long,  tubular,  brilliant  crimson,  with  green  tips, 
pendulous,  in  a  loose  umbel,  produced  at  the  summit  of  a  leaf- 
less stem,  1  to  3  feet  tall.  Leaves  grass-like  and  radical,  as 
with  most  species  of  Brodisea.  Canons  and  open  rocky  moun- 
tain woods  of  Northern  California  and  Oregon,  blooming 
from  May  to  July. 

Firecracker-flower  (or  Firecrackers,  a  terse  variant)  is  one  of 
all  too  rare  instances  of  a  popular  name  of  obvious  appropriate- 
ness; for  the  drooping,  crimson  clusters  of  long,  straight  blos- 
soms bear  a  striking  resemblance  to  a  little  bunch  of  Chinese 
firecrackers.  An  account  of  the  plant's  discovery  by  its  first 
scientific  describer,  Dr.  Alphonso  Wood,  is  pleasantly  given  by 
Mr.  Thomas  Meehan  in  "The  Native  Flowers  and  Ferns  of 
the  United  States."  It  was  pointed  out  to  Professor  Wood  by 
a  stage-driver  in  the  Trinity  Mountains,  as  a  flower  so  be- 
( loved  by  his  little  daughter  Ida  May,  that  the  family  called 
it  after  her,  Ida  May.  Wood,  in  describing  the  plant,  believed 
it  of  a  new  genus,  which  he  called  Brevoortia,  and  sought  to 
preserve  the  sentiment  of  this  particular  species  by  naming  it 
Brevoortia  Ida-Maios.  Most  later  nomenclaturists  have  dis- 
carded his  name  for  the  one  given  at  the  head  of  this  page. 
16 


GOLDEN  BRODLEA  (Brodicea  ixioides,  Wats.).  Flowers 
funnel-formed,  yellow,  the  spreading  divisions  with  a  brown 
mid- vein — a  charming  plant  6  inches  to  2  feet  high,  found  in  the 
Coast  Ranges  and  Sierra  Nevada  (including  the  Yosemite 
region)  from  the  Santa  Ines  Mountains  in  Southern  Cali- 
fornia northward  to  Oregon,  blooming  in  summer. 

The  Golden  Brodisea  is  likely  to  deceive  the  novice  into 
t  hinking  it  Bloomeria  aurea.  The  flower  of  the  latter,  however, 
is  distinguished  by  a  tiny  cup  out  of  which  the  stamens  rise, 
and  the  stamen  filaments  themselves  are  thread-like.  In  the 
G olden  Brodisea,  the  stamens  have  broadly  winged  filaments 
the  whole  length. 

In  the  higher  Sierras,  at  about  8,000  feet  and  upward,  there 
is  another  yellow  Brodisea  often  found,  which  closely  resem- 
bles B.  ixioides,  but  is  a  smaller  plant  in  every  way.  It  is 
Brodicea  gracilis,  Wats.  The  main  botanical  distinction  is  in 
the  filaments,  which  are  thread-like  in  B.  gracilis,  instead  of 
winged. 

Some  botanists  split  the  genus  Brodicea  into  three — Brodicea, 
Hookera,  and  Triteleia — and  by  these  nomenclaturists  our 
Golden  Brodiaea  is  classed  with  Triteleia. 

17 


LANTERN  OF  THE  FAIRIES  (Cal6chortus  albus,  Dougl.). 
Flowers  nodding,  satiny  white,  sometimes  with  a  tinge  of 
purple,  the  petals  arching  inward  and  forming  a  closed  bell  or 
globe,  hairy  within;  solitary  or  few,  terminal  on  the  branches. 
Stems  leafy-bracted,  1  to  2  feet  high,  and  branching;  radical 
leaves  \  to  2  inches  wide.  Blooming  in  late  spring  or  early 
summer  in  shady  situations,  particularly  in  the  Coast  Ranges 
and  the  Sierra  Nevada,  from  San  Diego  northward. 

The  genus  Calochortus  numbers  about  forty  species, 
nearly  all  confined  to  the  Pacific  Coast,  though  a  few  occur  in 
the  Rocky  Mountain  region,  and  even  as  far  east  as  the  Da- 
kotas  and  Nebraska.  One  C.  Nuttallii,  T.  &  G.,  popularly 
known  as  Sego  Lily,  is  the  State  flowrer  of  Utah.  The  Lantern 
of  the  Fairies  belongs  to  the  section  of  the  genus  known  as 
Globe- tulips,  because  of  the  shape  of  the  flowers,  and  is  one  of 
the  daintiest  creations  imaginable.  Paraphrasing  a  certain 
old  dictum  about  the  strawberry,  one  might  say  that  doubt- 
less God  could  have  made  a  lovelier  flower,  but  never  did. 

A  charming  cousin  of  C.  albus  is  the  yellow  Globe-tulip, 
C.  pulchellus,  Dougl.,  somewhat  similar  in  make-up,  but  with 
yellow  flowers.  It  is  a  Central  Californian. 


18 


MARIPOSA  TULIP.  MARIPOSA  LILY  (Calochortus  cata- 
lince,  Wats.).  Flowers  2  to  3  inches  across,  tulip-shaped,  erect 
and  terminal  on  loosely  branching  stems  1  to  2  feet  high;  white 
or  lilac  with  a  dark-red  blotch  at  the  base  of  each  petal.  Leaves 
grass-like.  Common  throughout  Southern  California  and  the 
Coast  Islands,  on  plains  and  foot  hills,  blooming  from  February 
until  May. 

The  name  Mariposa,  applied  to  this  charming  flower,  is 
adopted  from  the  Spanish-Calif ornians  and  means  "butter- 
fly." The  appropriateness  of  the  term  will  be  denied  by  no 
one  who  comes  for  the  first  time  upon  a  patch  of  the  showy, 
exquisitely  mottled  flowers,  gleaming  like  resting  butterflies 
indeed,  amid  some  sunny  expanse  of  wild  grasses. 

The  relationship  of  Calochortus  is  nearer  to  the  Tulip  of  the 
Old  World  than  to  the  Lily,  a  fact  which  makes  the  popular 
term  Mariposa  Tulip  more  accurate  for  it  than  the  more  gener- 
ally used  Mariposa  Lily.  Many  of  the  species  so  closely  re- 
semble one  another,  and  are  so  variable,  that  it  is  work  for  an 
expert  to  identify  them.  C.  catalince  derives  its  specific  name 
from  the  fact  of  its  having  been  first  described  from  a  specimen 
collected  some  40  years  ago  on  Santa  Catalina  Island. 

19 


DESERT  MARIPOSA  (Calochortus  Kennedyi,  Porter).  Flow- 
ers a  couple  of  inches  across,  flaming  vermilion,  tulip-shaped, 
erect  at  the  tips  of  stoutish  stems  from  a  few  inches  to  a  foot 
or  more  high.  Leaves  grass-like,  often  withering  away  before 
flowering.  Blooming  in  April  and  May  on  the  Mojave  Desert, 
California,  eastward  to  Arizona. 

Motorists  of  an  observant  sort  and  leisurely  gait  across  the 
Southwestern  desert  roads  in  spring,  can  hardly  fail  to  be  at- 
tracted by  the  sight  of  this  glorious  flower.  In  open  spaces 
where  the  sun  has  full  power,  it  blooms  close  to  the  sand,  but 
in  the  protection  of  a  bush  the  stem  has  a  chance  to  develop 
and  the  flowers  are  more  aspiring.  The  wonder  of  it  is  in- 
creased by  finding  it  in  the  midst  of  such  barren  sun-scorched 
wastes  as  popular  speech  calls  "God-forsaken."  The  flower 
is  a  reproach  to  such  a  phrase,  and  seems  to  preach  to  us  the 
universality  of  the  divine  providence. 

The  Desert  Mariposa  in  California  is  of  rather  local  occur- 
rence. Miss  Armstrong,  in  her  "Field-Book  of  Western  Wild 
Flowers,"  speaks  of  it  as  so  abundant  in  localities  in  Arizona  as 
to  lend  color  to  the  landscape  for  miles.  An  interesting  fea- 
ture of  the  plant  is  the  elongated  and  very  decorative  seed- 
vessel,  vertically  banded  in  white  and  green. 
20 


MOUSE  EABS  \Caloehortus  Maweanus,  Leich).  Flowers, 
erect  in  anthesis,  barely  an  inch  across,  bell-shaped,  white  or 
lilac,  thickly  covered  with  conspicuous  white  or  purplish  hairs. 
Stems  low  and  branched,  bearing  a  few  grass-like  leaves. 
Blooms  in  early  spring,  and  is  common  in  moist  situations  of 
the  Coast  Ranges  and  Sierra  foothills  from  Central  California 
northward  into  Oregon. 

Calochortus  Maweanus  (the  queer  specific  name,  by  the  way, 
commemorates  George  Maw,  an  English  horticulturist,  author 
of  a  fine  work  on  the  genus  Crocus)  belongs  to  that  section  of  the 
genus  called  Star  Tulips.  The  noticeable  furriness  of  the  pet- 
als has  associated  the  delicate  little  plant  with  cats,  even  more 
than  with  mice,  and  it  is  quite  well  known  as  "pussy's  ears" 
and  "cat's  ears,"  as  well  as  "mouse  ears." 

Quite  similar  in  character  are  two  other  small  plants  of  the 
genus,  found  also  in  Central  and  Northern  California.  These 
are  C.  umbeUatus,  Wood,  whose  petals,  however,  lack  the  char- 
acteristic hairiness  of  C.  Maweanus:  and  C.  Benthami,  Baker, 
the  Yellow  Pussy's  Ears,  readily  distinguished  by  the  yellow 
color  of  the  petals. 


GOLDEN  TULIP  (Calochortus  luteus,  Dougl.).  Flowers 
erect,  cup-shaped,  rather  small,  greenish-yellow  to  orange, 
with  a  tendency  to  purple  within;  stems  4  inches  to  1  foot 
high;  leaves  very  narrow  and  grass-like.  Widely  distributed 
throughout  California  and  blooming  in  spring  and  summer. 

The  Golden  Tulip  is  very  variable  and  its  varieties  oculatus 
(having  eyes)  and  citrinus  (lemon  yellow)  are  more  attractive 
to  most  tastes  than  the  type — more  beautiful  daughters  of  a 
beautiful  m'other.  Of  variety  oculatus,  the  distinguishing 
feature  is  a  brownish  spot  usually  fringed  with  yellow  in  the 
midst  of  the  whitish  or  purple  petal.  Variety  citrinus  is  char- 
acterized by  deep  or  lemon  yellow  petals  with  a  maroon  eye 
central  on  each.  In  both  varieties  there  is  usually  present  be- 
low the  eye  a  hairy,  crescent-shaped  honey-gland  that  adds  a 
piquant  touch. 

Most  species  of  Calochortus  have  played  an  important  part 
in  the  aboriginal  bill  of  fare,  the  corms  or  bulbs  having  been 
dug  up  and  eaten  either  raw  or  after  roasting  in  hot  ashes. 
Besides  being  nutritious,  they  possess  an  agreeable  sweet, 
nutty  flavor,  which  is  further  developed  by  cooking.  Like 
the  bulbs  of  Brodisea,  those  of  Calochortus  are  sometimes 
called  Indian  or  Wild  Potatoes  in  Northern  California. 
22 


CAM  ASS  (Camassia  esculenta,  Lindl.).  Flowers  showy. 
6-parted,  deep  blue  to  whitish,  an  inch  or  more  in  diameter, 
borne  in  a  loose  raceme  at  the  summit  of  a  scape  1  to  2  feet 
high.  Leaves  radical,  numerous,  and  grass-like.  It  blooms 
in  summer  and  is  abundant  in  damp  meadows  and  swampy 
places  from  Central  California  to  Washington  and  east  to 
Idaho  and  Utah. 

There  are  several  species  of  Camassia,  most  if  not  all  having 
edible  bulbs.  Those  of  C.  esculenta  were  until  recently  an  im- 
portant item  in  the  dietary  of  the  Northwestern  Indians,  and 
one  of  our  Indian  wars  was  caused  by  the  encroachment  of 
white  settlers  upon  the  immemorial  Camass  meadows  of  the 
Xez  Perces.  Pioneers  of  a  few  generations  ago  used  to  mar- 
vel at  the  blue  expanse  of  the  wild  Camass  fields,  sometimes 
simulating  lakes  of  clear  water.  The  bulbs,  resembling  small 
onions,  are  nutritious  and  well  charged  with  sugar.  Usually 
they  were  dug  in  June  or  July  and  baked  in  heated  pits  after  a 
rather  elaborate  process,  which  developed  the  innate  sweet- 
ness; but  often  they  were  consumed  raw,  in  which  state  they 
are  crisp  and  mucilaginous,  but  rather  tasteless.  Lewis  and 
Clarke  in  their  journal  speak  of  a  feast  tendered  them  by  the 
Indians,  in  which  the  Camass  played  a  conspicuous  part. 
23 


SOAP-PLANT.  AMOLE  (Chlordgalum  pomeridianum,  Kunth.). 
Flowers  opening  in  the  afternoon,  of  6  white,  recurving  seg- 
ments, veined  with  purple,  borne  in  a  loose,  spreading  panicle 
at  the  top  of  an  almost  leafless  stem  sometimes  5  feet  high.  The 
basal  leaves  are  very  characteristic,  8  to  18  inches  long,  £ 
to  1  inch  broad,  crinkly  and  wavy-margined,  usually  flat  to 
the  ground,  noticeable  for  months  before  the  flowering  stem 
appears.  Of  wide  distribution  throughout  California,  on 
plains  and  dry  hillsides;  blooming  from  May  to  July. 

Few  wild  plants  have  played  so  conspicuous  a  part  in  the 
human  activities  of  the  Pacific  Coast  as  this,  because  of  its 
bottle-shaped  bulb,  deep-buried  and  hidden  within  a  coarse, 
fibrous,  brown  jacket.  This  fibre  was  utilized  for  brushes  by 
the  aborigines.  The  bulb  itself  contains  a  thick  juice  which 
when  cooked  has  value  as  a  glue.  Of  the  roasted  bulbs  poul- 
tices were  made,  and  the  fresh  bulbs  mashed  and  thrown  into 
a  stream  had  the  effect  of  temporarily  stupifying  fish,  which 
were  then  easily  captured.  Chlorogalum's  most  famous 
use,  however,  is  as  soap.  The  mature  bulb  is  rich  in  saponin, 
and  when  crushed  and  rubbed  up  in  water  produces  a  cleans- 
ing lather.  Amole  (a-m6la)  is  the  Spanish  name  for  the  plant. 

24 


MISSION  BELLS  (Fritittaria  lanceolate^  Pursh.).  Flowers 
nodding,  bronze-colored,  checkered  in  purple  and  dull  yellow- 
ish-green, borne  in  a  raceme  on  a  stem  1  to  2  feet  tall.  Leaves 
lanceolate,  2  to  5  inches  long  in  1  to  3  scattered  whorls.  Flow- 
ering in  the  spring  in  rich  woodlands  of  the  Coast  Ranges  from 
Monterey  Bay  to  British  Columbia. 

An  interesting  feature  of  this  plant  is  the  white,  cone-shaped 
bulb,  around  which  a  family  of  baby  bulblets  (each  resembling 
a  grain  of  rice)  are  clustered  like  chicks  about  a  mother  hen. 
Please  take  my  word  for  this,  and  do  not  disturb  the  hopeful 
family;  for  upon  the  undisturbed  development  of  the  little 
bulbs  the  future  race  depends. 

The  Fritillarias  are  near  akin  to  true  Lilies,  and  like  them 
are  of  world-wide  distribution  throughout  the  north  temperate 
zone  in  numerous  species,  of  which  the  Crown  Imperial  of  our 
grandmothers'  gardens  and  ours  is  a  well  known  and  cherished 
example.  The  queer  name  Fritillaria  is  Middle  Age  Latin 
for  checker-board,  and  would  seem  to  have  been  suggested  by 
the  checkered  segments  of  the  flower. 


CHOCOLATE  LILY  (Fritillaria  biflora,  Lindl.).  Flowers 
nodding,  bell-shaped,  brownish-purple  tinged  with  green  to 
dark  brown  or  nearly  black,  borne  from  1  to  3  (sometimes  as 
many  as  10,  according  to  Miss  Parsons)  on  a  stem  from  6  to  18 
inches  high;  leaves  lanceolate,  2  to  4  inches  long,  scattered  or 
somewhat  whorled  and  mostly  near  the  base.  Blooming  from 
February  till  April  in  open  places  in  the  California  foothills 
and  on  grassy  slopes  from  San  Diego  to  Mendocino,  but  com- 
monest in  Southern  California. 

The  Chocolate  Lily  is  the  Cleopatra  of  the  Fritillarias— the 
darkest,  and  one  of  the  loveliest,  of  a  genus  that  is  a  source  of 
peculiar  delight  to  the  flower  lover.  Of  the  10  or  12  species 
indigenous  to  the  United  States,  all  are  Western  (most  of  them 
confined  to  the  Pacific  Slope)  and  are  of  several  different  colors. 
The  Yellow  Fritillary  (F.  pudica,  Spreng.)  is  a  pretty  favorite, 
in  yellow,  with  children  of  Nevada  and  Utah;  F.  recurva, 
Benth,  is  regal  with  racemes  of  flowers  scarlet  without,  and 
orange  and  scarlet  within,  borne  on  stems  a  foot  to  a  foot  and 
a  half  high.  It  is  found  in  the  mountains  of  Northern  Cali- 
fornia and  of  Oregon.  There  is  also  a  species,  F.  liliacea,  Lindl., 
with  greenish-white  flowers,  which  one  occasionally  comes  upon 
in  Central  California. 

26 


ZYGADEXE  (Zygadenus  Fremonti,  Michx.).  Flowers  star- 
like,  \  inch  or  so  in  diameter,  white  or  fringed  with  green,  the 
6  spreading  segments  each  with  a  greenish-yellow  glandular 
spot  at  the  base;  borne,  few  to  many,  in  a  raceme  or  panicle 
at  the  summit  of  a  stem  1  to  3  feet  high.  Leaves  grass-like, 
mostly  basal,  but  a  few  short  ones,  sheathing  at  base,  scat- 
tered along  the  flower-stem.  Widely  distributed  from  San 
Diego  to  Northern  California,  in  the  foothills  of  the  Coast 
Ranges,  on  sunny  mesas,  and  sometimes  in  marshy  meadows. 
Blooms  in  March  or  April. 

This  beautiful  flower  has  a  black  sheep  of  a  cousin,  the  poi- 
sonous Z,  venenosus,  Wats.,  blooming  in  early  summer  in  moist 
situations  from  Central  California  to  British  Columbia,  and 
known  as  Death  Camass.  It  may  be  distinguished  from  Z. 
Fremonti  by  smaller  flowers  with  stamens  that  equal  or  exceed 
the  perianth,  and  quite  narrow  leaves  usually  folded.  The  poi- 
sonous part  of  Death  Camass  is  the  bulb,  taken  internally, 
and  as  this  is  almost  identical  in  size  and  appearance  with  the 
edible  Camass  bulb  and  frequently  grows  in  the  same  places, 
cases  of  fatal  human  poisoning  have  not  infrequently  resulted. 
Pigs,  they  say,  digest  Death  Camass  readily  enough,  and  UKC 
it,  whence  it  is  sometimes  called  Hog's  Potato. 
27 


CHAMISE  LILY.  DOG'S-TOOTH  VIOLET  (Erythronium  gi- 
ganteum,  Lindley.)  Flowers  yellow  or  cream  color,  often  with 
a  maroon  band  at  the  base,  the  segments  1  to  2  inches  long, 
re  volute;  borne  1  to  6  or  more  in  a  loose  raceme  on  a  leafless 
stem  about  a  foot  high.  Leaves  two,  appearing  basal,  6  to  10 
inches  long,  dark  green,  mottled  in  brown.  Blooming  in 
spring  and  early  in  summer  in  rich  woods  of  the  Coast  Ranges 
from  Central  California  to  Southern  Oregon;  one  of  the  most 
magnificent  of  wild  flowers. 

There  are  several  species  of  Erythronium  in  white  and  yel- 
low, scattered  over  the  Pacific  Slope,  all  with  a  family  re- 
semblance to  this,  and  you  have  only  to  see  them  once  to  be  in 
love  with  them  always.  The  name  Chamise  Lily  is  Northern 
Californian,  given  because  of  the  flower's  blooming  sometimes 
amid  the  chamise  or  thickets. 

The  bulbs  of  the  Chamise  Lily  are  edible  and  were  used  to 
some  extent  by  the  Northern  California  Indians.  Mr.  V.  K. 
Chesnut  has  recorded  a  curious  belief  of  one  tribe  who  thought 
washing  themselves  with  a  decoction  of  the  bulbs  would  pre- 
vent the  rattlesnakes  from  having  dreams,  which  in  their  mind 
made  the  snakes  more  irritable  and  dangerous! 


28 


SQUAW  GRASS  (Xerophyllum  tenax,  Nutt.).  Flowers 
white,  showy,  £  to  f  inch  broad,  fragrant,  in  a  dense  raceme 
sometimes  a  foot  long,  the  lower  blossoms  expanding  first, 
borne  at  the  summit  of  a  bristly  stem  2  to  5  feet  high,  arising 
from  the  midst  of  a  large  tuft  of  very  narrow,  grass-like  leaves, 
dry  and  harsh  to  the  touch,  that  spread  outward  and  droop 
in  a  way  suggesting  a  fountain.  Mountains  of  Central  Cali- 
fornia northward  through  Oregon  and  Washington;  blooming 
in  early  summer  and  sometimes  whitening  extensive  meadows 
with  then-  showy  bloom. 

Another  species,  X.  Douglasii,  Wats.,  similar  but  in  every 
way  smaller,  occurs  in  Oregon  and  eastward  to  the  Yellowstone, 
and  if  you  have  ever  botanized  in  the  pine-barren  regions  of  the 
Atlantic  coast  states,  either  will  remind  you  of  the  charming 
Eastern  cousin  of  both,  X.  setifolium,  Michx.,  or  Turkeybeard. 

The  botanical  name  Xerophyllum,  meaning  dry  leaf,  well  de- 
scribes the  peculiar  dry  roughness  of  the  foliage.  The  com- 
mon name  Squaw-grass  is  due  to  the  fact  that  the  Indian  wo- 
men use  the  grass-like  leaves  in  the  weaving  of  some  of  their 
best  baskets. 


FALSE  HELLEBORE.  SKUNK  CABBAGE  (Verdtrum  cali- 
fornicum,  Durand.).  Flowers  greenish- white  with  a  green 
base  in  a  large  panicle,  1  to  2  feet  long,  containing  both  perfect 
flowers  and  those  of  separate  sexes,  on  stout  stems  3  to  7 
feet  tall,  with  plaited,  sheathing  leaves.  Blooming  in  summer 
in  mountain  meadows  and  along  streams  in  most  parts  of  Cali- 
fornia, north  to  Oregon  and  east  to  Wyoming  and  Colorado. 

The  False  Hellebore  is  one  of  the  most  showy  of  mountain 
plants,  chiefly  because  of  its  leaves.  These  have  a  pronounced 
allurement  from  the  time  they  appear  in  the  early  spring  un- 
til the  frosts  of  autumn  turn  to  gold  the  natural  plantations  of 
them  that  beautify  many  a  mountain  meadow. 

There  are  two  other  species  indigenous  to  the  Pacific  Coast, 
V.  fimbriatum,  Gray,  a  peculiar  species  of  which  the  flowers 
are  fringed  and  spotted,  and  V.  viride,  Ait.  The  latter  with 
green  flowers,  and  a  slenderer  plant  in  every  way  than  V. 
californicum,  occurs  in  the  East  as  well  as  the  West,  and  is  the 
celebrated  Indian  Poke,  of  which  a  decoction  was  used  by  the 
aborigines  as  an  emetic.  It  is  said  some  tribes  resorted  to  it 
in  the  selection  of  their  chiefs — the  candidate  who  could 
most  effectively  stand  up  under  the  successive  doses,  being 
regarded  as  the  fittest  to  govern. 
30 


CLINTONIA  (Clintonia  Andrewsiana,  Torr.).  Flowers  \ 
inch  or  so  long,  red  or  pink,  in  a  many-flowered  globose-umbel 
topping  a  stout,  leafless  stem  1  to  2  feet  high,  which  also  usu- 
ally bears  one  or  more  smaller  flower-clusters  along  its  length; 
leaves  radical,  glossy  green,  often  a  foot  long.  Blooms  in 
the  spring  and  early  summer  in  the  redwood  forests  of  the  Coast 
Range  from  Monterey  Bay  northward — the  flowers  succeeded 
in  summer  by  berries  of  the  richest  blue,  as  distinguished  in 
their  way  as  the  blossoms. 

Any  one  familiar  with  the  lovely  Clintonia  borealis  of  East- 
ern woods  will  recognize  at  once  this,  its  regal  sister  of  the  Far 
West.  There  is  also  another  Pacific  Coast  species,  C.  uniflora, 
Kunth.,  with  a  short  stem  bearing  one  or  two  dainty  white 
flowers  with  yellow  centres,  rising  out  of  two  or  three  shining 
green  leaves. 

Clintonia  immortalizes  the  name  of  DeWitt  Clinton,  some 
time  governor  of  Xew  York,  and  is  whimsically  associated  with 
Thoreau,  who  in  one  of  his  books  says  some  crabbed  things 
about  linking  "a  politician's"  name  with  such  a  beautiful 
flower.  As  Clinton  had  a  penchant  for  natural  history  as  well 
as  for  politics,  doubtless  the  name  is  well  enough  bestowed. 
Andrews  was  a  California  botanist  of  hah*  a  century  ago. 
31 


AMARYLLIS  FAMILY 

(Amaryllidacece) 

Perennial  mostly  herbaceous  plants,  resembling  the  Lilies, 
but  distinguished  by  having  the  lower  part  of  the  perianth 
adherent  to  the  surface  of  the  ovary,  thus  giving  the  appear- 
ance of  the  flower's  being  set  above  the  ovary.  Stamens  6. 
Leaves  usually  basal,  without  distinction  of  blade  and  petiole. 

MESCAL  (Agdve  deserti,  Englm.).  This  is  a  cousin  of  the 
well  known  Century  Plant  or  Maguey  of  Mexico,  and  is  found 
on  the  sun-scorched,  desert-facing  slopes  of  the  Southern  Cali- 
fornia mountains.  While  in  general  aspect  resembling  the 
Century  Plant,  it  is  smaller,  with  clustered  basal  leaves,  fleshy, 
spiny-pointed  and  rarely  over  a  foot  long.  For  years  the  plant 
grows  slowly  without  any  sign  of  flowering,  until  some  March  or 
April  a  stalk  starts  up,  resembling  a  gigantic  asparagus  sprout 
and  rising  rapidly  to  a  height  of  8  or  10  feet  and  opens  out  a 
panicle  of  succulent,  bell-shaped  yellow  flowers.  Then  follows 
death.  The  Indians  made  great  use  of  the  Mescal  plant  getting 
a  good  textile  fibre  from  the  leaves,  while  the  base  of  the  young 
flowrer  stalks  baked  for  a  day  in  a  hot,  covered  pit  furnished 
a  nutritious  item  of  food,  which  they  call  Mescal. 
32 


IRIS  FAMILY 

(Iridacece) 

Herbaceous  perennial  plants,  with  narrow  leaves  folded 
lengthwise,  each  embracing  the  next  within.  Flowers  showy, 
perfect,  but  often  irregular,  of  six  segments,  apparently  set 
above  the  ovary,  as  in  Amaryllidacese,  but  distinguished  from 
the  latter  by  having  only  3  stamens. 

BLUE  EYED  GRASS  (Sisyrinchium  bellum,  Wats.).  Flowers 
deep  blue  with  a  yellowish  centre,  six  parted  and  spreading, 
star-like,  borne  in  loose  umbels  at  the  top  of  branching,  flattish 
stems  a  foot  or  so  tall.  Leaves  basal  and  grass-like.  Bloom- 
ing in  spring  and  summer,  in  grassy  places  from  near  sea  level. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  sociable  of  wild  flowers  on  the  Pacific 
Coast,  and  far  from  being  scared  away  by  the  settlements  of 
men,  seems  to  thrive  in  human  companionship.  Its  pretty 
flowers  are  short  lived,  hardly  outlasting  a  day,  but  as  fast  as 
one  withers  another  opens  and  a  single  plant  will  thus  remain 
a  cheerful  sight  for  a  long  time.  The  Indians  found  a  medi- 
cinal use  for  the  root,  which  is  purgative,  and  Spanish  Califor- 
nians  (who  call  it  Azulea,  from  azul,  blue)  used  to  make  a  tea  of 
the  plant,  and  perhaps  still  do,  for  use  in  fevers. 
33 


BLUB  FLAG  (Iris  Macrosiphon,  Torr.)  The  general  features 
of  the  iris  flower  are  too  well  known  to  need  itemized  descrip- 
tion here.  This  genus  is  represented  on  the  Pacific  Coast  by 
eight  or  nine  indigenous  species,  mostly  plants  of  the  mountains. 
The  flowers  vary  from  deep  purple,  blue  or  lilac  to  yellow  and 
white,  often  with  beautiful  veining  in  one  color  or  another,  and 
well  justifying  the  name  of  Iris,  which  is  Greek  for  rainbow. 

Iris  Macrosiphon,  usually  blue-flowered,  is  sometimes  called 
Ground  Iris  from  its  frequent  habit  of  growing  in  mats  over  the 
ground,  and  is  found  wild  from  the  San  Francisco  Bay  region 
northward,  blooming  in  spring  and  summer.  The  flower  stalks 
are  shorter  than  the  numerous,  erect,  narrow  leaves  which  are 
from  6  to  20  inches  tall.  A  characteristic  feature  of  the  flower 
is  the  slender,  stem-like  tube  of  the  perianth,  which  extends 
1  to  3  inches  beyond  the  ovary — a  character  shared,  however, 
by  Iris  Douglasiana,  Herbert,  a  stouter  and  taller  species  of  the 
same  range. 

Mr.  Chesnut  records  a  very  human  use  to  which  some  of  the 
California  I ndians  put  the  leaves  of  the  flag.  When  the  sq ua ws 
went  berry  hunting  in  the  hot  hills,  they  would  wrap  the  balm--, 
accompanying  them  in  the  soft,  flexible  iris  leaves,  thus  retard- 
ing perspiration  and  staving  off  thirst  from  the  little  folks. 
34 


ORCHID  FAMILY 
(Orfkidaefte) 

Perennial  herbs  with  flowers  of  remarkable,  sometimes  gro- 
tesque shapes,  of  six  segments;  the  three  outer  (sepals)  similar 
to  one  another  and  petal-like,  two  of  the  inner  (lateral  petals) 
alike,  but  the  third  (the  lip)  is  usually  markedly  different, 
generally  very  prominent  and  often  spurred.  Stamens,  1  or  2, 
united  with  the  style  into  an  organ  called  the  column*  Leaves 
alternate,  parallel- veined. 

LADY'S  SLIPPER  (Cypripedium  montanum,  DougL).  Flow- 
ers 1  to  3  on  a  leafy  stalk  a  foot  or  two  high,  the  lip  in  the 
shape  of  an  inflated  sac,  an  inch  or  so  Long,  white  with  purple 
veins,  the  stringy  sepals  and  wavy-twisted  lateral  petals 
purplish  brown.  Blooms  in  early  summer,  in  moist  Sierra 
woodlands  from  Central  California  (the  Yosemite  region) 
northward,  and  in  the  Coast  Ranges  in  late  spring.  A  plant 
that  is  all  the  lovelier  because  of  its  comparative  rarity. 

One  other  species  may  be  met  with  in  Northern  California 
swamps  and  moist  grounds — C.  catifornicum,  Gray,  disting- 
uished by  a  taller  stem,  more  numerous  blossoms  and  greenish- 
ye:   ,-..  sepal*  hardly  half  M  mA  lofljf, 
M 


STREAM  ORCHIS  (Epipdctis  giganUa,  Dougl.).  Flowers  3 
to  10,  in  a  terminal,  bracted  raceme,  on  a  leafy  stem  1  to  4 
feet  high,  or  even  6  feet  under  special  conditions.  Sepals 
yellowish-green,  petals  pinkish  with  purple  veining;  lip,  barely 
\  inch  long,  the  baggy  base  with  erect,  wing-like  margins,  and  a 
pendulous  tip.  Blooms  from  May  to  July  along  the  banks  of 
shaded  streams  and  in  wet  clearings  throughout  California, 
northward  to  Washington,  thence  eastward  to  Nevada,  Colo- 
rado and  Western  Texas. 

Before  flowering  the  stoutish  stems  of  Epipactis,  with  its 
numerous  clasping,  parallel-nerved  leaves  3  to  8  inches  long, 
might  easily  be  mistaken  for  a  Veratrum  or  False  Hellebore. 
For  this  reason  early  botanical  writers  gave  to  the  European 
Epipactis  palustris  the  name  Helleborine,  by  which  term  our 
species  sometimes  goes  in  literature.  It  is  the  most  commonly 
encountered  of  Pacific  Coast  Orchids,  and  at  times  occurs  in 
patches  of  considerable  size;  but  oftenest  the  plants  are  found 
in  small  scattered  groups  or  even  in  solitary  state,  having  little 
influence  in  the  general  picture. 

The  Indians  of  Northern  California  formerly  thought  they 
found  medicinal  value  in  the  fleshy  roots,  and  made  a  decoction 
of  them  for  internal  use  when  they  felt  "sick  all  over." 
36 


GHOST  FLOWER.  PHANTOM  ORCHIS  (CephalanthSra  ore- 
gana,  Reich,  f.).  Flowers  very  much  as  in  Epipactis,  but  pure 
white,  in  terminal  spikes,  a  foot  or  two  high,  leaves  reduced  to 
scales,  and  the  whole  plant,  leaves  and  stems  as  well  as  the 
blossoms,  pure  white,  or  nearly  so.  Blooming  in  summer  in 
mountain  woods  from  Central  California  and  the  Yosemite 
region  northward  to  Oregon.  A  wraith-like  plant  when  seen 
against  the  dark  background  of  the  forest  floor,  well  described 
by  the  popular  name.  The  flowers  exhale  a  delicate  odor  that 
suggests  vanilla. 

This  remarkable  Orchid,  first  collected  by  the  botanist 
Xuttall  in  Oregon,  is  one  of  that  curious  sort  of  plants  of 
which  the  Heath  family  harbors  several,  that  do  no  food  man- 
ufacturing for  themselves,  but  live  like  fungi  on  the  decaying 
vegetation — the  natural  garbage — of  the  woods.  This 
accounts  for  the  whiteness  of  all  the  parts,  which  is  simply  an 
absence  of  chlorophyl,  that  essential  agent  by  which  other 
plants  convert  into  nutriment  for  themselves  the  inorganic 
matter  derived  from  earth  and  air. 

The  plant  is  called  by  some  botanists  Cephalanthera  Ans- 
tina,  Heller. 


LIZARD-TAIL  FAMILY 

(Saururaceos) 

Perennial  herbs  with  perfect  flowers  without  petals,  calyx 
when  present  often  colored  like  a  corolla.  Stamens  6  to  8. 

YERBA  MANSA  (Anemopsis  calif  arnica,  Hook).  Flowers 
small,  in  a  compact  conical  spike,  surrounded  at  the  base  by  a 
showy  white  or  pinkish  involucre  of  several  persistent  bracts 
resembling  a  corolla,  at  the  summit  of  a  few-leaved,  reddish 
stalk.  Basal  leaves  numerous,  long-petioled,  like  those  of  the 
common  dock.  In  bloom  from  March  till  August  in  low  wet 
and  alkaline  places  in  the  central  valley  of  California,  through- 
out Southern  California  and  east  to  Utah  and  Western  Texas. 

The  creeping  rootstock  of  this  famous  plant  is  peppery  and 
astringent,  and  has  long  been  prized  as  a  household  remedy  by 
Californians.  The  dried  root  is  chewed  for  troubles  of  the 
mucous  membrane;  and  an  infusion  of  the  root  is  applied  out- 
wardly for  rheumatic  pains  and  skin  troubles.  A  mash  of 
the  leaves  is  also  used  as  a  poultice  for  sores.  The  name  Yerba 
Mansa,  "tame  herb"  is  quite  meaningless.  A  Spanish  lady 
of  my  acquaintance  has  stated  that  the  true  name  is  Yerba 
del  Manso,  the  herb  of  the  tamed  Indian. 


BIRTHWORT  FAMILY 

(Aristolochiaceoi) 

Perennial  herbs  or  twining  shrubs  with  more  or  less  heart- 
shaped  leaves.  Flowers  without  petals,  the  3-lobed  calyx 
corolla-like.  Stamens  6  to  12,  attached  to  the  pistil. 

WILD  GINGER  (Asarum  caudatum,  Lindl.).  Flowers  on 
slender  footstalks,  brownish,  bell-shaped,  the  three  divisions 
extended  into  long  tails.  Leaves  large,  long-petioled,  green 
and  kidney-shaped,  these  and  the  flowers  arising  from  root- 
stocks  creeping  at  the  surface  of  the  ground.  Blooming  in 
the  spring  in  damp  woodlands  from  Monterey  Bay  to  British 
Columbia.  Frequent  in  the  redwood  belt. 

The  delightful  aromatic  fragrance  of  the  crushed  leaves 
and  of  the  root  suggesting  ginger,  makes  it  easy  of  identification 
even  when  out  of  flower,  and  justifies  the  common  name.  It 
is  in  no  way  related  to  the  true  ginger,  and  I  find  no  record 
that  the  Indians  ever  found  use  for  this  one.  The  flowers  are 
borne  close  to  the  ground. 

In  the  Sierra  Nevada  another  species  occurs,  A.  Hartwegi, 
Wats.,  with  smaller  but  similar  flowers  and  leaves  mottled 
with  white. 

39 


BUCKWHEAT  FAMILY 

(Polygonaceai) 

Shrubs  or  herbs  with  usually  alternate  entire  leaves  and 
sheathlike  stipules  about  the  swollen  joints  of  the  stems. 
Flowers  small,  regular;  petals  none,  the  calyx  5-6  parted,  often 
colored  resembling  a  corolla.  Stamens  4  to  9  inserted  near 
the  base  of  calyx;  styles  2  to  4,  ovary  superior.  Fruit  a  tri- 
angular or  lens-shaped  achene. 

TURKISH  RUGGING  (Chorizdnthe  staticoides,  Benth).  Flow- 
ers usually  reddish,  but  sometimes  white,  small,  1  to  3,  included 
in  a  tubular  ribbed  involucre,  tipped  at  its  lobes  with  hooked 
spines.  Stamens  9  or  6.  Leaves  mostly  in  a  basal  rosette 
which  disappears  early.  Blooms  in  the  dry  days  of  summer, 
on  arid  hillsides  and  plains,  Southern  and  Central  California. 

This  odd,  much-branched,  all  but  leafless  little  plant,  ex- 
ceedingly brittle  when  dry,  and  very  rosy  in  stem  and  branch, 
is  often  an  influential  factor  in  the  color  scheme  of  the  dry  hill- 
sides of  summer,  spreading  low  over  considerable  areas. 

The  genus  Chorizanthe  is  represented  on  our  Pacific  Coast 
by  some  thirty  species,  plants  of  the  deserts  and  dry  hills,  and 
the  unraveling  of  many  of  the  species  is  an  expert's  job. 
40 


WILD  BUCKWHEAT  (Eri6gonum  fasciculaium,  Benth).  A 
small  shrub,  2  to  3  feet  high,  with  little  white  or  pink  flowers 
borne  several  in  an  involucre  which  is  toothed  but  not  spiny- 
tipped  as  that  of  Chorizanthe  is,  the  flowers  disposed  in  dense 
terminal  heads.  Leaves  narrow,  revolute  margined,  woolly 
beneath,  much  fascialed  or  bunched  along  the  stems. 
Blooming  throughout  the  spring  and  summer  on  mesas  and 
hillsides  of  Southern  California,  eastward  to  Nevada  and  Ari- 
zona. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  characteristic  plants  of  the  chaparral 
in  Southern  California;  not  only  when,  in  bud  and  bloom, 
its  massed  delicate  color  lends  a  special  charm  to  the  foothills 
where  it  grows,  but  later  also  when  the  creamy  tints  of  the 
flowers  suffused  with  pink  give  place  to  the  warm  brown  of  the 
fruiting  heads.  It  is  one  of  the  most  cherished  of  wild  flowers 
by  the  bees,  and  the  honey  of  the  Wild  Buckwheat  ranks  in 
excellence  only  second  to  the  White  and  Black  Sages.  Al- 
though the  high  tide  of  its  bloom  is  from  April  until  August, 
one  is  pretty  sure  to  find  scattering  bloom  at  other  seasons, 
too,  even  in  midwinter. 

The  flowering  heads  have  a  tendency  to  dispose  themselves 
in  flattish  clusters,  whence  another  common  name  Flat-top. 
41 


DESERT  TRUMPET  (Eridgonum  inflatum,  Torr.  &  Fr.).  The 
Desert  Trumpet  is  so  remarkable  in  its  make-up  that  it  may  be 
recognized  at  a  glance,  and  to  see  it  is  to  be  interested  in  it 
immediately.  From  a  cluster  of  small  heart-shaped  leaves — 
one  or  more  queer,  glaucous,  bluish-green,  hollow  stalks  arise, 
swollen  out  sometimes  to  the  diameter  of  an  inch  or  so,  and 
these  are  topped  by  an  intricate  net-work  of  slender  branches 
and  branchlets,  bearing  a  multitude  of  tiny  yellowish  flowers. 
The  plant  grows  from  1  to  3  feet  tall,  and  is  a  desert  dweller, 
abundant  on  the  Colorado  and  Mojave  Deserts  of  California, 
thence  east  to  Utah,  Arizona  (Grand  Canon  region)  and  New 
Mexico. 

The  inflated  stalks,  swelling  upward  gradually  like  a  musi- 
cal horn,  explain  the  popular  designation  Desert  Trumpet. 
Another  name  given  in  some  localities  is  Pickles,  the  reason 
for  which  Is  not  apparent,  until  one  learns  that  the  plant 
(like  its  relative  the  Sheep  Sorrel)  is  acid,  and  the  inflated 
stems  when  young  and  tender  are  eaten  raw  as  pickles  by  some 
desert  folk.  I  have  also  heard  it  called  Wild  Asparagus  from 
a  resemblance  of  the  tangle  of  the  blooming  panicles  to  As- 
paragus plants  in  flower,  but  this  name  is  misleading. 


KNOT  WEED  (Polygonum  bistortoides,Pwsh.).  The  common 
smartweed  of  old  truck-patches  and  roadsides  the  country 
over  is  represented  on  the  Pacific  Slope  by  a  pretty  cousin,  the 
Alpine  Smartweed,  or  Knotweed,  frequent  in  wet  meadows 
of  the  higher  mountain  ranges.  In  summer,  campers  and 
trampers  come  upon  acres  of  it  forming  unbroken  sheets  of 
creamy  white  color  in  the  damp  sunny  openings  of  the  forests 
of  the  San  Bernardino  Mountains,  the  Sierra  Nevada,  and 
northward,  as  well  as  eastward  to  the  Rockies.  The  small 
white  or  rosy,  pediceled  flowers  are  disposed  in  dense  spike-like 
racemes  f  to  1|  inches  long,  on  stems  1  to  2  feet  high.  The 
leaves  are  mostly  basal,  but  a  few  are  on  the  stem,  grass-like 
and  sheathing  about  the  swollen  stem-joints  which  are  a  char- 
acteristic feature  of  the  Polygonums. 

The  specific  name  P.  bistortoides,  meaning  like  a  bistorta,  has 
reference  to  the  resemblance  of  our  plant  to  a  species  of  Poly- 
gonum of  very  wide  distribution  called  Bistort  by  Old  World 
herbalists,  from  its  tortuous  and  twisted  roots. 


SULPHUR  FLOWER  (Eridgonum  umbellatum,  Torr.).  The 
genus  Eriogonum  is  one  that  we  have  to  go  to  the  Far  West  to 
find  at  home,  but  there  it  is  extremely  abundant.  Of  the 
140  species  or  so,  fully  hah*  are  indigenous  to  our  Pacific 
Coast,  and  the  identification  of  the  species  in  many  cases  is 
work  for  the  patient  special  student.  The  flowers,  numerous 
but  small,  are  six-parted,  colored  in  the  different  species 
white,  pink,  or  yellow,  and  when  faded  still  cling  to  the  achene. 
Stamens  9,  styles  3. 

Of  the  few  species  that  have  attained  popularity  enough  to 
acquire  a  common  name,  the  Sulphur  Flower  is  deserving  of 
especial  mention.  The  umbeled  heads  of  fragrant,  sulphur- 
yellow  flowers  terminate  a  reddish  stem  about  a  foot  tall, 
that  rises  from  a  rosette  of  grayish  green  leaves  white-woolly 
beneath.  It  is  rather  variable  in  its  characters  and  botanists 
have  proposed  a  number  of  varieties.  In  summer  its  cheerful 
colonies  often  cover  large  areas  on  dry,  open  mountain  slopes 
of  the  Sierra  Nevada  and  Coast  Ranges,  at  an  elevation  of 
from  4,000  to  9,000  feet  in  California,  north  to  Washington  and 
eastward  to  the  Rocky  Mountains, 


44 


FOUR  O'CLOCK  FAMILY 


Usually  succulent  herbs  or  low  shrubs  with  fragile  stems  and 
swollen  joints,  and  opposite  entire  leaves.  Perfect  flowers, 
without  corolla,  but  the  delicate  calyx  colored  like  a  corolla. 

CALIFORNIA  FOUR  O'CLOCK  (Mirabilis  California,  Gray.) 
Flowers  magenta,  open  bell-shaped,  the  spreading  lobes 
deeply  2-cleft,  each  flower  in  an  involucre,  disposed  in  ter- 
minal" clusters  or  solitary  in  the  axils.  The  blossoms  expand 
about  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  (whence  the  common  name 
Four  o'Clock),  remaining  open  until  early  the  next  day.  The 
stems  are  woody  below,  but  herbaceous  above,  forking  re- 
peatedly, with  a  disposition  to  support  themselves  lazily  on 
convenient  bushes. 

This  is  a  verv  common  flower  in  Southern  California,  bloom- 
ing on  drv  hillsides  up  to  about  4,000  feet,  from  January  until 
July.  It"  is  rather  variable,  and  botanists  have  separated 
as  varieties  certain  desert  forms  found  east  to  Nevada. 

Mr.  \V.  L.  Jepson,  in  his  "Flora  of  California,'  records 
Wishbone  Bush  as  a  common  name  for  this  species. 

M  .  FroebeUii,  Greene,  bears  bright  rosy  flowers,  leaves  sticky 
and  hairy. 

45 


SAND  VERBENA  (Abronia  villosa,  Wats.).  Flowers  pink 
to  lilac,  showy  and  rather  fragrant,  salver-shaped  with  a  long 
tube,  in  many-flowered,  long-peduncled  heads,  terminal  or 
axillary  on  trailing,  succulent  sticky  stems.  Blooming  in 
spring  and  early  summer  in  sandy  situations,  sea-coast  and 
desert,  Southern  California  and  eastward  to  Arizona  and 
Utah.  In  March  parts  of  the  Colorado  Desert  are  sheeted 
an  almost  solid  pink  with  the  abounding  flowers  of  a  larger- 
flowered  variety  of  this  plant,  which  botanists  are  disposed 
to  call  var.  aurita.  Somewhat  similar  is  A.  umbellata,  Lam., 
common  along  the  seashore  from  Southern  California  to  Wash- 
ington, distinguished  by  rose-purple  flowers  and  prostrate 
stems  sometimes  3  feet  long.  The  common  name  Sand  Ver- 
bena may  be  justified  by  the  striking  superficial  resemblance 
of  the  flower  heads  to  those  of  the  true  verbenas  of  the  garden, 
although  there  is  no  real  relationship. 

There  are  about  a  dozen  species  of  this  beautiful  genus 
indigenous  to  the  Pacific  Slope.  A  charmingly  fragrant  one  is 
the  Yellow  Sand  Verbena  (A.  latifolia,  Esch.)  found  along  the 
seashore  from  Monterey  to  Vancouver.  In  sandy  meadows 
of  the  high  Sierra  Nevada,  the  handsome  A.  alpina,  Brandegee, 
is  found  with  white  or  pink  flowers. 
46 


FIG  MARIGOLD  FAMILY 

(Fic&idea) 

Smooth,  succulent  plants  with  opposite  leaves,  perennial. 
Petals  and  stamens  very  numerous  inserted  on  the  calyx. 

ICE  PLANT  (Mesembryanthemum  crystallinum,  L.).  Flowers 
about  an  inch  in  diameter,  with  a  great  many  rose  or  white, 
linear  petals;  the  stems  and  large  wavy  leaves  thickly  covered 
with  a  translucent,  glistening  incrustation  resembling  frost  or 
ice,  whence  the  common  name.  The  plants  grow  in  extensive, 
flat  masses  over  the  seaside  mesas  and  in  the  pockets  of  cliffs 
of  the  Southern  California  Coast.  Often  the  whole  plant  asr 
sumes  a  ruddy  hue  in  droughty  weather,  and  makes  a  notice- 
able color  note  in  the  landscape.  It  flowers  in  the  spring. 

The  brown,  unattractive  seed  vessels  which  abound  upon 
old  plants  hold  an  unexpected  pleasure  for  people  with  a  taste 
for  simple  joys.  If  you  break  off  a  sprig  of  them,  and  lay  it  in 
a  dish  of  water,  the  dry  capsules  will  slowly  open  out  into  so 
many  charming  5-pointed  stars,  discharging  tiny  black  seeds. 
After  drying  out  the  process  may  be  repeated  with  the  same 
seed  vessels  for  an  indefinite  number  of  times.  In  the  lan- 
guage of  science  they  are  hygroscopic. 
47 


FIG  MARIGOLD  (Mesembryanthemum  cequilaterale,  Haw.). 
Flowers  red  or  pink,  1  to  2  inches  in  diameter,  with  very  numer- 
ous linear  petals  surrounding  a  ring  of  countless  stamens,  which 
in  turn  enclose  a  cluster  of  several  styles.  A  stout  perennial 
with  long  trailing  stems,  bearing  curious,  fleshy,  three-sided 
leaves  2  to  3  inches  long,  without  petioles.  Common  along  the 
California  Coast  from  San  Francisco  to  San  Diego,  of  ten  covering 
large  areas  with  its  matted  stems  and  hanging  over  the  faces 
of  seaward-facing  cliffs.  It  is  found  also  on  the  Chilean  Coast 
and  in  Australasia.  In  fact  some  botanists  have  thought  that 
our  plant  is  not  native  Californian  at  all,  but  imported. 

The  name  Mesembryanthemum  is  at  first  sight  such  a  stag- 
gering mouthful  that  timid  people  are  afraid  to  try  to  pro- 
nounce it.  If  undertaken  bravely  and  carefully,  however,  it 
will  be  found  no  whit  harder  than  Chrysanthemum,  which 
everybody  carries  off  debonairly  enough.  As  there  are  about 
300  species  in  the  world  (mostly  South  African)  the  name  is 
worth  acquiring.  The  word  means  "Mid-day  flower,"  be- 
cause the  blossoms  open  only  in  the  sun.  The  pulpy 
fruit  is  edible,  somewhat  like  a  small  fig  (suggesting  the  com- 
mon name),  and  folk  who  have  been  more  fortunate  than  I 
in  finding  it  in  condition,  say  it  is  palatable. 
48 


PURSLANE  FAMILY 

(Portidacacece) 

Low,  fleshy  herbs.  Flowers  opening  only  in  the  sunshine 
or  bright  daylight.  Sepals  fewer  than  the  petals,  which  are 
usually  5.  Stamens  3  to  20,  opposite  the  petals  when  of  the 
same  number. 

RED  MAIDS  (Calandrinia  caulescens,  var.  Menziesii,  Gray). 
Flowers  crimson  or  magenta,  in  a  loose,  leafy  raceme;  plant  a 
succulent-stemmed  annual  of  spreading  habit  6  inches  to  2 
feet  long,  with  alternate  narrow  leaves  an  inch  or  two  long. 
Blooming  from  January  to  April  throughout  California,  in 
fields  and  on  roadsides  and  hills,  often  making  sheets  of 
warm  color  over  the  ground. 

This  pretty  spring  flower  is  one  of  the  children's  favorites 
and  besides  going  under  the  name  of  Red  Maids  is  called  Kisses, 
Mr.  Jepson  tells  us.  Among  the  Luiseno  Indians  of  Califor- 
nia the  plant  when  young  and  tender  was  eaten  as  greens,  and 
the  pretty  little  seeds,  black  and  shining  like  grains  of  gun- 
powder, roasted  and  ground  were  used  for  food. 

There  is  a  suspicion  that  the  plant  has  worked  its  way  in  as 
an  immigrant  from  farther  south. 
49 


MINER'S  LETTUCE  (Montia  perfoliata,  Howell).  Flowers 
small,  white,  in  more  or  less  interrupted  racemes  on  stems  a 
few  inches  Jo  a  foot  high.  These  stems  bear  just  below  the 
flowers  a  pair  of  opposite  leaves  completely  united  at  base 
into  a  roundish  disk  or  saucer.  The  plant  is  an  annual,  with 
clustered  root  leaves  more  or  less  rhomboidal  in  outline,  and 
having  long  petioles.  Common  in  shady  places  throughout 
California,  and  as  far  north  as  British  Columbia;  blooming 
from  February  to  July. 

The  succulence  of  the  herbage  of  Montia  perfoliata  long  ago 
attracted  the  Indians  who  ate  it  both  rawr  and  cooked  as 
greens.  From  them  the  wrhite  pioneers  took  the  hint,  and  in 
mountain  districts  it  is  still  used  to  some  extent.  I  can 
myself  testify  to  its  palatability  when  boiled  and  seasoned 
with  salt  and  pepper.  Its  use  by  the  aborigines  has  given 
rise  to  two  common  names,  Squaw's  Cabbage  and  Indian 
Lettuce.  Under  the  name  of  Winter  Purslane  it  has  been  in- 
troduced into  English  kitchen  gardens' as  a  potherb  and  salad. 
It  has  become  naturalized  in  many  parts  of  the  world  includ- 
ing Cuba. 

Miner's  Lettuce  is  closely  related  to  the  well-beloved  Spring 
Beauty  of  the  East  (Claytonia  virginica). 
50 


PUSSY  PAWS  (Sprdguea  umbellata,  Torr.)  Flowers  pink  or 
white,  with  conspicuous  papery  sepals,  in  cushionlike  incurling 
clusters,  umbellate,  1  to  3  inches  across,  topping  fleshy  scapes 
a  few  inches  to  a  foot  high.  Leaves  spatulate  in  a  dense  basal 
rosette.  A  mountain  plant,  common  in  gravelly  open  spaces, 
where  it  often  dyes  considerable  spaces  with  a  tone  of  delicate 
color  during  the  months  of  summer.  It  is  very  common  in 
the  Yosemite  region,  but  is  well  distributed  in  its  various 
forms  throughout  the  higher  mountains  of  the  Pacific  Coast 
from  Mount  San  Jacinto  to  British  Columbia,  eastward 
through  Nevada  to  the  Rockies  including  Yellowstone  Park. 
Also  in  the  northern  Coast  Ranges  of  California. 

The  soft,  cushiony  flower  clusters,  usually  flesh  tinted, 
are  obviously  responsible  for  the  common  name  Pussy  Paws  of 
this  charming  little  plant,  familiar  to  every  summer  visitor  to 
the  higher  mountains  of  California.  As  the  color  scheme  of 
the  clusters  is  quite  often  a  mixture  of  white  and  pink,  an- 
other popular  name,  Painted  Snow  Flower,  is  not  without 
appropriateness, 

Some  modern  botanists  are  disposed  to  call  this  plant 
Calyptridium  umbellatum. 


51 


BITTER-ROOT  (Leivtsia  rediviva,  Pursh.).  Flowers  some- 
times 2  inches  across,  varying  from  white  to  rose,  with  12  to  15 
petals  about  an  inch  long,  opening  out  in  sunshine  like  a  wheel, 
and  borne  on  a  short  one-flowered  scape,  jointed  near  the 
middle.  Stamens  very  numerous.  Leaves  thick,  linear,  an 
inch  or  so  long  in  a  basal  cluster.  The  whole  plant  sits  quite 
close  to  the  ground,  and  blooms  in  the  spring;  in  the  moun- 
tains, from  Southern  California  (sparingly)  to  British  Colum- 
bia, and  eastward  through  Idaho,  Montana,  Nevada,  Wyom- 
ing, Utah,  and  Arizona.  Its  fame  in  Montana  has  caused  it  to 
be  adopted  there  as  the  State  flower. 

The  large  root  of  Lewisia  is  a  conspicuous  feature.  This  is 
exceedingly  bitter  if  bitten  into  (whence  the  common  name) 
but  when  properly  cooked,  as  the  Indians  found  out,  is  rich  in 
starch  and  can  be  made  palatable.  The  name  Leuisia  was 
given  in  honor  of  the  leader  of  the  famous  Lewis  and  Clark 
exploring  party  of  1804  to  the  Pacific  Coast.  The  plant  has 
remarkable  vitality,  and  the  specimen  upon  which  Pursh 
based  his  description  is  said  to  have  been  planted  after  lying 
for  many  months  in  a  herbarium,  after  which  it  grew  for  a 
year  before  dying.  This  suggested  the  specific  name  rediviva, 
"that  lives  again." 

52 


PINK  FAMILY 

(Caryophyllaceci) 

Herbs,  usually  with  swollen  stem  joints,  simple  opposite 
leaves,  and  regular  perfect  flowers;  petals  and  sepals  commonly 
five  each;  stamens  5  or  10;  styles  2  to  5.  Ovary  superior. 

INDIAN  PINK  (Silene  laciniata,  Cav.).  Flowers  brilliant 
red,  the  petals  deeply  slashed  into  four  narrow  divisions,  and 
borne  at  the  summit  of  stems  usually  a  foot  or  two,  but  some- 
times 5  feet  high.  Common  in  Southern  California  and  in 
one  of  its  forms  eastward  to  New  Mexico,  blooming  in  late 
spring  and  summer  on  dry  hills  and  amid  chaparral.  There  is  a 
stickiness  about  the  stems  and  herbage  that  brings  unsuspi- 
cious small  insects  to  grief — a  character  common  to  all  species 
of  Silene,  and  suggesting  the  common  name  Catch-fly  applied 
to  many. 

Quite  similar  to  this  Indian  Pink  of  the  South  is  Silene  cali- 
fornica,  Dur.,  also  called  Indian  Pink,  which  occurs  along 
roadsides  and  in  open  woods  and  canons  of  Central  and  North- 
ern California.  The  plant  is  generally  smaller  than  S.  lacin- 
iata, but  the  corolla  is  even  more  showy. 

58 


CROWFOOT  FAMILY 

(Ranunculaceoe) 

Usually  herbs  (Clematis  shrubby),  with  acrid  juice,  petals 
of  indefinite  number,  or  none,  the  calyx  in  that  case  colored 
like  a  corolla;  stamens  indefinite,  generally  many,  pistils  dis- 
tinct. Leaves  generally  more  or  less  divided  or  cut. 

CALIFORNIA  BUTTERCUP  (Ranunculus  calif ornicus,  Benth.). 
Flowers  shining  yellow,  \  to  f  inch  broad,  with  about  10  to  15 
narrowish  petals,  topping  branching  stems  a  foot  or  more 
tall.  Root  leaves  of  three  main  divisions,  each  thrice  (or 
more)  again  divided;  leaves  of  the  stem  less  cut.  Widely 
distributed  throughout  California,  northward  to  Oregon  and 
Washington,  blooming  from  February  to  June. 

Ranunculus  californicus  is  the  most  likely  to  attract  atten- 
tion of  about  a  score  of  species  of- the  genus  that  are  indigenous 
to  the  Pacific  Coast,  for  it  loves  the  open  fields  and  roadsides, 
and  woods-edges  of  the  common  way  of  life.  Buttercup 
seeds  were  an  important  part  of  the  Indian's  wild  harvest. 
They  were  parched  in  flat  baskets  by  being  tossed  about  with 
hot  embers  or  pebbles,  and  then  ground  (generally  with  other 
seeds)  into  meal.  The  acridity  of  the  seed  disappears. 
54 


RED  COLUMBINE  (Aquilegia  truncata,  F.  &  M.).  The  Col- 
umbines are  easily  recognized  by  their  showy  flowers  with  five 
petals,  each  produced  downward  in  the  form  of  a  long,  hollow 
spur,  and  sepals  colored  like  the  petals.  There  are  more  than 
a  dozen  species  indigenous  to  the  West,  the  nodding  flowers  oc- 
curring in  red,  yellow,  blue,  purple,  and  white  in  the  differ- 
ent species. 

Three  or  four  are  natives  of  the  Pacific  Coast  and  of  these 
the  most  abundant  is  the  Red  Columbine.  Its  scarlet  flowers 
tinged  with  yellow  are  a  familiar  sight  during  spring  and  sum- 
mer, in  moist,  shady  places  and  along  mountain  streams 
throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  state,  from  almost 
sea  level  to  the  edge  of  perpetual  snow.  Under  favorable 
conditions  the  plant  attains  a  height  of  four  feet. 

The  Blue  Columbine  (A.  coendea,  James),  which  is  abund- 
ant in  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  has  the  distinction  of  being 
Colorado's  state  flower,  has  been  reported  from  the  mountains 
of  California  also,  but  is  not  common  there.  It  is  a  glorious 
flower,  pale  blue  to  white,  occasionally  tinged  with  yellow  or 
pink,  and  bearing  slender  spurs  sometimes  two  inches  in 
length. 


SCARLET  LARKSPUR  (Delphinium  cardinale,  Hook).  The 
principal  characteristic  of  the  Larkspur  flower  is  the  backward 
prolongation  of  the  upper  sepal  into  a  prominent  spur.  Both 
petals  and  sepals  are  colored  alike. 

The  Scarlet  Larkspur  is  one  of  the  most  striking  of  wild 
flowers  and  its  magnificent  racemes — 1  to  2  feet  long — of 
blazing  red  or  orange-red  blossoms  on  stems  that  frequently 
reach  a  height  of  six  feet  and  sometimes  more,  are  unmis- 
takable among  the  shrubs  and  brush  of  the  arid  spaces  where  it 
delights  to  grow.  It  may  be  found  in  flower  from  May  to  Aug- 
ust throughout  Southern  California,  in  the  foothills  up  to  about 
3,000  feet,  and  along  sandy  washes.  Blooming  as  it  does 
considerably  after  the  rains  are  over,  the  stems  then  are  us- 
ually leafless,  the  foliage  having  withered  up.  Early  in  the  sea- 
son, the  5  to  7  narrow-fingered  leaves  are  beautiful  in  themselves. 

There  is  another  red-flowered  species  (D.  nudicaule,  T.  &  G.) 
which  is  found  in  the  Coast  Ranges  from  the  Santa  Lucia 
Mountains  north  to  Oregon.  It  is  much  less  showy,  the 
slender  stems  not  more  than  two  feet  high,  and  the  loose  racemes 
few  (2  to  12)  flowered.  Mr.  Chesnut  states  that  the  root 
was  reputed  among  some  Indians  to  have  narcotic  properties 
useful  to  one,  when  gambling,  to  put  an  opponent  to  sleep! 
56 


BLUE  LARKSPUR  (Delphinium  Parryi,  Gray).  Blue 
Larkspurs  are  quite  common  on  the  Pacific  Coast  (about  a 
dozen  species,  besides  half  as  many  more  well  defined  vari- 
eties), found  in  open  ground  and  shady,  near  the  sea  and  on 
high  mountains.  The  blue  of  the  flowers  is  not  always  con- 
stant, often  running  into  pink  and  white  in  the  same  species. 
Most  of  these  species  look  pretty  much  alike  to  the  non- 
technical, and  as  a  matter  of  fact  their  strict  determination  is  a 
difficult  matter. 

Delphinium  Parryi  is  common  in  Southern  California,  af- 
fecting more  or  less  open  ground  in  the  foothills  from  the  sea 
to  the  edge  of  the  deserts.  Its  blue  spires  of  bloom  are  fa- 
miliar sights  from  April  until  June. 

The  specific  name  is  in  honor  of  Dr.  C.  C.  Parry,  who  was 
with  the  Mexican  Boundary  Survey  of  1849,  and  who  subse- 
quently made  extensive  collections  of  Pacific  Slope  plants, 
especially  in  Southern  California. 


57 


MONKSHOOD  (Aconitum  columbianum,  Nutt.).  The  char- 
acteristic  feature  of  the  Aconitum  flower  is  the  one  much 
enlarged  sepal  shaped  noticeably  like  a  hood  or  helmet,  which 
all  but  extinguishes  the  much  reduced  petals.  All  five  sepals 
are  colored. 

Aconitum  columbianum  is  a  handsome  plant,  2  or  3  feet  tall 
(or  higher  under  favorable  conditions),  blooming  in  July  or 
August;  the  robust  flowers  varying  from  a  deep  blue  to  white 
in  a  loose  raceme,  the  palmate  leaves  about  5-parted.  It 
affects  moist  meadows  and  stream  banks  in  the  higher  moun- 
tains, the  Sierra  Nevada  and  Northern  Coast  Ranges  of  Cali- 
fornia, north  to  British  Columbia,  and  eastward  to  Wyoming, 
Colorado,  and  Arizona.  The  specific  name  has  reference 
to  the  Columbia  River  near  the  Washington-Oregon  line, 
where  Thomas  Nuttall,  the  discoverer,  collected  his  type 
specimens. 

Our  species  is  a  true  cousin  of  Aconitum  Napellus,  of  the  Old 
World,  the  plant  from  which  the  medicine  Aconite  is  made, 
and  is  poisonous  both  in  root  and  leaf.  Sheepmen  on  the 
Pacific  Slope  know  it  by  the  prosaic  name  of  Blue-weed,  and 
have  dread  of  it,  as  it  has  the  reputation  of  poisoning  sheep  if 
they  eat  it. 

58 


WILD    CLEMATIS     (Clematis    ligiLsticifdlia,    Nutt.). 
woody  vine,  clambering  over  rocks,  shrubs,  and  trees. 


A 

The 


creamy  white  blossoms  in  many-flowered  panicles,  are  all 
sepals,  which  are  colored  like  petals  and  are  hardly  more  con- 
spicuous than  the  feathery  long-tailed  seed-heads  that  suc- 
ceed them.  It  blooms  from  May  until  July,  and  is  widely 
distributed  in  California  and  Oregon,  and  eastward  to  New 
Mexico.  Its  preference  is  for  the  lower  mountain  regions, 
rarely  getting  above  4,000  feet  elevation.  The  hard  specific 
name  means  "with  leaves  like  Ligusticum,"  an  umbelliferous 
genus  of  which  the  potherb  Scotch  Lovage  is  a  member.  Be- 
sides the  common  name  Wild  Clematis,  that  of  Virgin's  Bower, 
the  usual  Cld  World  name  for  a  kindred  species,  is  in  use. 
In  Northern  California  the  plant  is  sometimes  called  Pepper 
Vine  from  the  peppery  taste  of  stem  and  leaves  if  chewed,  as 
they  sometimes  are,  for  sore  throat. 

Similar  in  appearance  and  habit,  and  more  showy,  is  the 
nearly  related  Clematis  lasiantha,  Nutt.,  common  in  the  chap- 
arral belts  of  Southern  and  Central  California.  The  flowers 
of  C.  lasiantha  although  apparently  bunched,  are  really  solitary 
on  long  footstalks.  The  flowers  of  both  are  dioecious. 


59 


WILD  PEONY  (Poeonia  Brownii,  Dougl.).  This  plant,  a  foot 
or  so  high,  is  sure  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  observant 
long  before  blooming  because  of  its  pale,  glaucous,  rather 
fleshy,  much  divided  leaves,  mostly  basal,  that  appear  here 
and  there  upon  the  brushy  hillsides  in  midwinter,  from  South- 
ern California  to  Washington  and  east  to  Utah.  The  large 
solitary  flowers,  an  inch  or  so  in  diameter,  may  be  found 
from  February  until  July  (according  to  situation),  and  are  a 
deep,  sometimes  almost  black  crimson,  globular  in  form  at  first, 
but  later  expand  into  the  shape  of  a  cup  with  5  or  6  concave, 
leather-like  petals,  backed  by  as  many  greenish-purple  sepals. 
Stamens  very  numerous,  clustered  around  2  to  5  bottle-like 
pistils  that  eventually  develop  into  conspicuous  green  pods, 
which  serve  to  identify  the  plant  long  after  flowering. 

Early  rains  sometimes  bring  the  flowers  of  the  Wild  Peony 
into  bloom  in  late  December,  whence  doubtless  the  name 
Christmas  Rose,  which  it  bears  in  some  neighborhoods,  al- 
though it  is  a  true  relative  of  the  Christmas  Rose  of  Europe 
and  old  fashioned  American  gardens — Helleborus  niger. 


60 


BARBERRY  FAMILY 

(Berberidacece) 

Shrubs  or  herbs,  stamens  as  many  as  the  petals  and  oppo- 
site them,  anthers  opening  by  two  valves  at  the  top. 

OREGON  GRAPE  (Herberts  Aquifolium,  Pursh.)-  Flowers 
yellow,  in  terminal  clustered  racemes;  leaves  odd-pinnate, 
bright  glossy  green  with  seven  or  more  spiny-toothed  leaflets 
resembling  the  holly  (which  suggest  the  specific  name).  The 
wood,  particularly  of  the  root,  is  bright  yellow.  Blossoms  in 
the  spring,  the  flowers  succeeded  in  autumn  by  little  bunches 
of  pretty  blue  berries  with  a  bloom  resembling  tiny  wild  grapes. 

The  Oregon  Grape  is  a  shrub  2  to  6  feet  high,  and  is  found 
often  in  great  abundance  in  shady  situations  in  both  the  Coast 
Ranges  and  Sierra  Nevada  of  California  north  to  Oregon  and 
Washington.  It  is  Oregon's  state  flower.  Similar  to  it 
and  indigenous  from  Northern  California  to  Alaska,  and  east- 
ward to  Arizona,  Utah,  and  Nevada,  is  the  Creeping  Barberry 
(Berberis  repens,  Lindley),  rarely  a  foot  high. 

The  Oregon  Grape  is  grown  in  Eastern  and  European  gar- 
dens under  the  name  of  Mahonia.  The  Indians  made  a  de- 
coction of  the  yellow  root  bark  for  the  cure  of  stomach  troubles. 
ftl 


INSIDE-OUT-FLOWER  (Vancouveria  parviflora,  Greene.). 
Flowers  white  or  lavender,  small,  drooping,  and  numerous, 
with  6  to  9  petal-like  bracts,  in  a  loose  panicle  topping  a  wiry 
stem  1  to  2  feet  tall.  Sepals  soon  falling,  white  like  the  petals, 
but  much  larger,  and  abruptly  recurved,  exposing  the  inner 
floral  organs  in  a  way  that  suggests  the  quaint  popular  name 
that  Miss  Armstrong  has  recorded.  Leaves  radical,  com- 
pound, twice  or  thrice  ternate,  the  somewhat  leathery  leaflets 
about  an  inch  across.  The  general  effect  of  these  graceful 
leaves  is  that  of  a  robust  maidenhair  fern. 

The  Inside-out-flower  blooms  in  late  spring  or  early  sum- 
mer, in  shady  Coast  Range  woodlands  from  Central  California 
northward  to  British  Columbia.  There  are  two  other  species, 
one,  an  Oregonian,  with  larger  yellow  flowers.  The  name 
Vancouveria  preserves  for  flower  lovers  the  name  of  that  fine 
old  sea  rover,  Captain  George  Vancouver,  who  visited  the 
Pacific  Coast  in  the  early  1790's  on  his  way  around  the  world, 
and  brought  with  him  as  botanist  of  his  expedition  the  fa- 
mous Scotch  collector,  Archibald  Menzies. 


CALYCANTHUS  FAMILY 

(Calycanthaceae) 

Aromatic  shrubs  with  opposite  entire  leaves,  sepals  and 
1  petals  similar  and  indefinite  of  number. 

SWEET  SHRUB  (Calycanthus  occidentalis,  H.  &  A.).  Flow- 
jers  wine-colored,  maroon,  or  sometimes  white,  2  to  3  inches 
I  across,  solitary,  perennial  on  leafy  branches;  petals,  sepals 
jand  stamens  passing  into  each  other  so  as  to  be  practically 
{indistinguishable  from  one  another.  A  shrub  4  to  12  feet  high, 
jwith  harsh  oval  leaves  2  to  6  inches  long;  blooming  through- 
lout  the  summer  and  into  the  autumn  usually  along  streams 
lin  mountain  canons  from  Central  California  northward. 
jThe  foliage  and  flowers  are  fragrant  when  crushed,  but  not  so 
jmuch  so  as  those  of  the  related  "shrub"  or  Carolina  Allspice 
jof  the  East.  The  flower  holds  its  fragrance  for  a  time  even 
lafter  wilting.  The  cup-like  seed  vessels,  an  inch  or  so  long, 
fremain  on  the  bushes  until  the  next  year,  and  serve  to  identify 
jthe  plant  when  out  of  flower. 

This  western  Calycanthus  also  goes  by  the  common  names 

ff  Spice-bush  and  Wine-flower.     Some  Northern  California 
ndians  prized  the  pithy  shoots  highly  for  arrow  shafts. 
63 


POPPY  FAMILY 

(Papaveraceae) 

Herbs  (or  rarely  shrubs)  with  milky  or  colored  juice,  nar- 
cotic or  acrid,  and  regular,  perfect  flowers,  sepals  falling  as  the 
petals  open  and  thus  often  unobserved. 

PRICKLY  POPPY.  THISTLE-POPPY  (Argemdne  platyceras, 
Link  &  O.).  Flowers  white,  3  or  4  inches  across,  with  4  to  6 
crumpled  petals,  and  a  golden  centre  of  very  many  yellow  sta- 
mens, terminal  on  a  stout,  leafy,  prickly  stem,  a  foot  or  two 
high;  leaves  bluish  green,  prickly  and  thistle-like;  blooming  in 
spring  and  summer  on  dry  hills,  in  sandy  washes,  and  on  the 
deserts,  Central  and  Southern  California  eastward  to  Colorado 
and  south  to  Mexico. 

The  Prickly  Poppy  is  one  of  the  most  exquisite  of  South- 
western wild  flowers,  and  is  often  mistaken  by  superficial  ob- 
servers for  the  Matilija  Poppy,  but  a  glance  at  the  thistle-like 
leaves  and  bristling  stems  relieves  all  doubt  as  to  the  Prickly 
Poppy's  identity.  The  Mexican  name  for  it  is  Chicalote. 
Miss  Armstrong  records,  also,  the  prosy  but  rather  graphic 
Fried  Eggs,  suggested  by  the  fully  expanded  flowers. 


64 


MATILJJA  POPPY  (Romneya  Coitlteri,  Harv.).  Flowers 
white,  5  or  6  inches,  or  even  more  in  diameter,  with  crepe-like 
petals  and  a  golden  centre  of  numerous  stamens,  upon  a  bushy 
plant  from  2  to  6  feet  high  (or  under  favorable  conditions 
twice  that);  leaves  smooth,  rather  glaucous,  bluish-green,  pinn- 
ately  parted  or  divided.  Blooming  in  late  spring  and  summer. 

Of  all  the  Pacific  Coast  wild  flowers,  the  Matilija  Poppy 
is  the  most  regal.  It  gets  its  name  from  the  CaSon  of  the 
Matilija  (pronounced  matil' ee-hafi)  River  of  Ventura  County, 
California,  where  its  abundance  once  made  it  locally  famous. 
While  not  a  common  plant,  it  is  found  in  scattered  localities 
over  a  considerable  area  in  Southern  California — as  in  Santa 
Barbara  and  Ventura  Counties,  the  Santa  Ana  Mountains 
near  Riverside,  the  Puente  Hills  near  Los  Angeles,  and  along 
the  southern  border  of  San  Diego  County,  whence  it  extends 
well  down  into  Lower  California.  It  haunts  stream  borders 
in  canons  and  open,  dry  hillsides — a  plant  of  catholic  taste. 

The  botanical  name  was  given,  as  to  genus,  in  honor  of  a 
gifted  Irish  astronomer,  Thomas  Romney  Robinson  of  Armagh 
Observatory,  and  as  to  species,  to  commemorate  Dr.  Thomas 
Coulter,  the  botanist  who  first  collected  it.  It  is  one  of  the 
many  California  plants  introduced  into  gardens. 
Co 


FLAMING  POPPY  (Meconopsis  heterophylla,  Benth.).  Flowers 
solitary,  brick  red  deepening  to  the  centre,  from  \  to  2  inches 
in  diameter,  borne  at  the  top  of  long,  slender  flower  stalks; 
leaves  pale  green,  somewhat  succulent,  pinnately  parted. 
An  herbaceous  annual  plant,  1  to  2  feet  high,  simple  or  branch- 
ing, with  orange-colored  juice.  Blooming  in  spring  in  more 
or  less  shady  places  and  canons  of  the  foothills  of  Central  and 
Southern  California. 

The  Flaming  Poppy  is  very  variable,  being  much  more 
showy  in  its  northern  range  than  in  the  south  where  the 
flowers  are  only  conspicuous  by  their  brilliancy  of  color, 
glowing  like  a  spark  of  fire  near  the  ground.  The  blossoms  are 
exceedingly  touchy,  the  delicate  petals  dropping  almost  as 
quickly  as  gathered  and  soon  scattered  by  the  wind — whence 
doubtless,  another  common  name,  Wind-poppy.  Some 
botanists  make  a  distinct  variety  of  the  southern  form — var. 
crassifolia,  Jepson — distinguished  by  thicker  leaves  and  smaller 
flowers,  sometimes  popularly  called  Blood-drops.  The  genus 
is  particularly  abundant  in  Asia,  being  represented  there  by 
about  25  specier>  mostly  Himalayan,  Tibetan,  and  Chinese. 


TREE  POPPY  (Dendromecon  rigidum,  Benth.).  Flowers 
a  clear  bright  yellow,  solitary,  an  inch  or  two  in  diameter,  on  a 
bushy,  slender-branched  shrub,  3  to  10  feet  high  with  pale 
green,  rather  stiff,  willow-like  leaves — the  bark  whitish. 

The  Tree  Poppy  is  found  in  California,  seeming  to  prefer 
open,  sunny  hillsides,  of  the  chaparral  belt,  though  one  may 
encounter  it  also  in  bottoms  bordering  the  streams  of  canons. 
It  is  most  at  home  in  the  southern  end  of  the  state,  and  a  well 
developed  bush  of  it  starred  with  its  striking  blooms  of  butter- 
cup yellow  is  reward  enough  for  a  hard  day's  tramp.  In  my 
experience  its  best  flowering  season  is  from  March  until  June, 
but  as  in  the  case  of  its  more  famous  cousin,  the  Eschscholtzia, 
there  is  hope  of  collecting  it  during  any  month  of  the  year. 
It  is  quite  variable  in  its  foliage  characters  and  the  size  of  its 
flowers — a  fact  that  has  led  some  latter-day  species  makers 
to  fall  upon  it  and  split  it  up  into  about  twenty  recorded  spe- 
cies. To  the  non-critical  student,  however,  the  one  species, 
as  here  described,  is  well  enough  for  practical  purposes. 


67 


CREAM-CUPS.  (Platystemon  californicus,  Benth.).  Flowers 
an  inch  or  so  across,  of  six  cream-yellow  petals  and  numerous 
stamens  with  broadly  flattened  filaments,  sepals  three;  flow- 
ers borne  on  long,  leafless  flowrer-stalks  arising  from  the  axils 
of  the  hairy,  narrow  leaves,  which  are  mostly  opposite  and  2 
to  4  inches  long. 

This  charming  little  flower  of  spring  is  at  its  height  from 
March  until  May  captivating  young  and  old  wherever  it  ap- 
pears, which  is  in  more  or  less  sandy  soil  in  fields,  along  road- 
sides, or  on  open  hillsides,  pretty  much  throughout  California 
below  3,000  feet,  and  slipping  across  the  border  into  Oregon 
and  Arizona.  The  Cream-cup's  blushing  buds,  dotted  with 
tiny  bristling  hairs  and  drooping  shyly  on  their  slender  stalks, 
are  very  appealing,  and  so  much  resemble  the  Poppy  buds  of 
our  gardens,  that  the  place  of  this  wilding  in  the  Poppy  family 
is  obvious.  After  flowering,  the  clustered  necklace-like  pods 
form  an  interesting  feature,  too,  in  the  plant's  life-history. 


C8 


CALIFORNIA  POPPY  (Eschscholtzia  calif ornica,  Cham.). 
Flowers  2  to  3  inches  across,  deep  orange  or  yellow,  sometimes 
white,  the  plant  a  foot  or  so  high  with  smooth  glaucous  leaves 
much  and  finely  dissected,  and  a  bitter  juice.  The  most  fa- 
mous of  all  Pacific  Coast  wild  flowers,  abundant  throughout 
California,  and  to  some  extent  in  Oregon  and  Washington. 
It  may  be  found  in  bloom  in  every  month  of  the  year,  but  it  is 
from  February  until  June  or  July  that  its  really  rich  display 
is  staged.  It  occurs  both  as  an  annual  and  as  a  perennial, 
and  is  California's  State  flower. 

The  California  Poppy  was  first  made  knowni  to  the  world 
by  Adalbert  von  Chamisso,  poet  and  botanist,  who  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Kotzebue  scientific  expedition,  which  visited  San 
Francisco  Bay  in  October,  1816.  This  flower  was  then  col- 
lected and  given  its  rather  formidable  looking,  though  easily 
pronounced  name  in  honor  of  Doctor  Eschscholtz,  another 
naturalist  of  the  party.  Spanish-Calif ornians  know  it  under 
various  Spanish  names,  as  torosa,  toronja,  and  prettiest  of  all, 
dormidera,  "the  drowsy  one,"  because  its  petals  fold  them- 
selves to  sleep  at  eventide. 


FUMITORY  FAMILY 

(Fumariacece) 

Delicate  perennial  herbs  with  compound,  finely-dissected 
leaves  and  irregular,  flattened,  heart-s  ^ed  flowers,  the  4 
petals  in  2  pairs,  the  outer,  larger  with  spreading  tips,  and 
spurred  or  saccate  at  the  base.  Some  botanists  include  the 
family  with  the  Papaveraceae. 

GOLDEN  EAR  DROPS  (Dicentra  chrysantha,  Hook  &  A.). 
Flowers  yellow,  \  to  f  inch  long,  in  loose,  terminal  panicles; 
stems  and  foliage  pale  and  glaucous;  the  plant  2  to  5  feet  tall, 
blooming  from  May  to  July  on  sunny  chaparral-clad  hillsides 
and  in  sandy  washes  of  Central  and  Southern  California. 
Ihis  is  a  rather  stiff -looking  plant,  but  its  ferny  leaves  and 
alert,  golden  blossoms  (obviously  akin,  because  of  their  pecul- 
iar shape,  to  the  Bleeding  Heart,  rather  than  to  the  Ear  Drops 
of  the  gardens),  make  it  a  welcome  sight  to  summer  ramblers. 
The  flowers,  however,  do  not  droop  but  sit  erect  in  a  most 
wide-awake  fashion,  their  two  outer  petals  spreading  their 
ears  out  conspicuously  as  if  hungry  for  all  the  gossip  of  their 
r.eighborhood. 


70 


BLEEDING  HEART  (Dicentra  formosa,  DC.).  Flowers 
magenta  or  pink,  or  occasionally  whitish,  about  f  inch  long, 
nodding,  in  panicles  terminating  succulent  stems  a  foot  or 
two  high.  Leaves  basal,  pale  green,  compound,  cut-lobed. 
Found  in  rich,  damy,  woodlands  of  the  Coast  Range  and  low 
altitudes  of  the  Si^fra  Nevada,  from  Central  California  (in- 
cluding the  Yosemite  region)  northward  to  British  Columbia, 
blooming  in  suminer. 

This  charming  flower  is  easy  of  recognition  from  its  general 
resemblance  to  the  other  Bleeding  Heart  of  old  gardens,  which 
is  an  Asiatic  cousin  known  to  botanists  as  Dicentra  spectabilis. 
Our  species,  too,  has  been  introduced  into  cultivation  and  is 
by  no  means  averse  to  the  "cakes  and  ale"  of  civilized  life. 
In  fact,  of  the  14  or  15  known  species  of  Dicentras,  natives  of 
North  America,  western  Asia,  and  the  Himalayas,  at  least 
half  a  dozen  have  become  more  or  less  known  as  garden  plants, 
especially  in  Europe,  because  of  their  striking  beauty  and  ease 
of  culture. 

Latter-day  botanists  with  a  taste  for  upsetting  established 
nomenclature  discard  the  name  Dicentra  for  their  genus,  and 
prefer  Bicuctdla,  under  which  name  students  will  have  to  look 
for  it  in  some  books. 

71 


MUSTARD  FAMILY 

(Cruciferae) 

One  of  the  easiest  jof  all  plant  families  to  recognize,  because 
of  the  four  distinct  petals,  generally  clawed  and  forming 
a  cross,  their  six  stamens  of  which  two  are  shorter  than  the 
others,  and  their  usually  peppery  juice.  The  mature  seed 
pods  are  often  needed  for  determination  of  these  plants. 

WILD  MUSTARD  (Brassica  nigra,  Koch).  Flowers  yellow, 
i  to  ^  inch  broad,  in  long,  terminal  racemes  on  stems  3  to  10 
or  12  feet  high;  leaves  dark  green,  the  lower  with  one  large 
terminal  lobe  and  two  to  four  smaller  lateral  lobes,  the  upper 
nearly  or  quite  sessile,  not  so  deeply  lobed  or  even  entire. 
Common  everywhere  below  t\vo  thousand  feet  altitude;  often 
making  dense  thickets,  blooming  February  to  May. 

No  plant  makes  more  of  an  impress  on  the  California  land- 
scape in  the  spring  than  this  Wild  Mustard,  when  acres  upon 
acres  of  it  in  bloom  blanket  the  valleys  and  mesas  of  the  state. 
It  is  a  naturalized  immigrant,  its  presence  on  the  Pacific  Coast 
perhaps  being  due  to  the  Franciscan  Missionaries  who  were 
indefatigable  introducers  of  European  plants.  It  is  one  of  the 
species  from  which  the  mustard  of  commerce  is  produced. 
72 


WILD  RADISH  (Rdphanu*  satlvus,  L.).  Flowers  purplish, 
pinkish  or  whitish  with  purple  veins,  about  £  inch  across,  on 
erect  and  much  branching  stems  2  to  4  feet  high.  Basal  and 
lower  leaves  deeply  cut,  with  a  large  terminal  lobe. 

The  Wild  Radish  is  the  common  garden  variety,  escaped 
from  conventionality  and  gone  back  to  nature.  It  has  done 
this  so  conscientiously,  however,  throughout  the  settled  parts 
of  California  that  its  showy  flowers  are  often  an  influential 
factor  in  the  co*or  scheme  of  the  landscape  and  are  sure  to  ex- 
cite the  attention  of  plant  lovers  whose  knowlege  of  the  radish 
has  been  limited  to  the  ruddy  roots  that  grace  the  dinner  table. 
It  flowers  more  or  less  every  month  in  the  year,  though  in 
most  abundance  in  spring  and  early  summer. 

There  is  another  species  of  Raphanus  that  is  sometimes 
met  with — R.  Raphanistrum,  L.,  or  Jointed  Charlock,  an 
introduced  annual  with  a  general  appearance  of  the  Wild 
Radish,  but  the  flowers  are  normally  yellow  and  the  long- 
beaked  pods  are  so  strongly  constricted  between  the  seeds  as  to 
give  the  seed  vessel  the  appearance  of  a  necklace. 


73 


PEPPER-ROOT.  MILKMAIDS  (Dentaria  calif ornica,  Nutt.). 
Flowers  white,  often  tinged  with  rose,  in  a  loose  raceme;  stem 
8  inches  to  a  foot  or  two  high,  simple  or  branched;  root 
leaves  long-petioled,  kidney-shaped,  simple  or  with  three 
roundish  leaflets;  stem  leaves  few,  short-petioled,  deeply  lobed, 
the  divisions  lanceolate. 

This  plant  is  closely  akin  to  the  familiar  Pepper-root  (D. 
laciniata,  Muhl.)  of  Eastern  spring  woodlands,  but  the  flowers 
are  larger.  The  whole  plant  possesses  a  wonderful  charm  and 
seems  instinct  with  the  very  spirit  of  spring,  as  one  comes  upon 
it  in  its  woodland  retreats  in  the  earliest  year.  It  is  frequent 
in  damp,  more  or  less  shady  places  in  the  coast  mountains  and 
foothills  of  California,  blooming  from  February  until  April. 

The  slender,  fleshy  rootstock  of  the  Pepper-root  bears  a 
number  of  little  tubers,  which  have  a  rather  pleasant  peppery 
taste,  suggesting  this  common  name  for  the  plant.  Toothwort, 
another  popular  appellation,  is  derived  from  the  toothlike 
divisions  of  the  rootstocks  of  some  species,  of  which  there  are 
half  a  dozen  or  so  indigenous  to  our  Far  West.  The  same 
characteristic  is  responsible  for  the  scientific  name  Dentaria. 
Some  botanists  unite  the  genus  with  the  closely  related 
Carddmine. 

74 


ORANGE  WALL-FLOWER  (Erysimum  dsperum,  DC.).  Flowers 
bright  orange,  occasionally  yellow,  fragrant,  about  f  inch  in 
diameter,  in  showy  racemes  at  first  flat-topped,  terminating 
stout,  upright  stems,  1  to  2  feet  tall.  Leaves  lanceolate,  more 
or  less  toothed  and  roughish.  Blooms  from  February  to  May, 
or  later. 

The  Orange  Wall-flower  (or  Western  Wall-flower,  as  it  is 
often  called)  is  one  of  the  most  noticeable  of  Pacific  Coast 
flowers  and  is  found  in  a  variety  of  situations,  in  dry  plains  and 
sandy  washes,  in  shady  mountain  canons,  and  in  the  sunlit 
coniferous  forests  of  the  Sierra  Nevada.  The  name  Wall- 
flower seems,  however,  exceedingly  inappropriate  until  we  re- 
member that  the  term  is  simply  an  inheritance  from  the  Old 
World,  where  a  nearly  related  plant  is  common  on  walls.  Our 
plant  has  a  wide  distribution  in  this  country,  being  found  as 
far  east  as  Texas,  Arkansas,  and  Minnesota,«outhward  to  Mex- 
ico and  northward  to  British  America.  It  is  quite  variable  in 
its  minor  characters  and  botanists  have  distinguished  several 
varieties. 

Another  Wall-flower  (Erysimum  grandiflorum,  Nutt.)  with 
cream-colored  or  yellowish  blossoms,  is  common  along  the  sea- 
shore from  Southern  California  to  Oregon. 
75 


CAPER  FAMILY 

( Capparidacece) 

Much  like  the  Mustard  Family,  but  the  stamens,  6  or  more, 
are  all  equal,  and  the  seed  pods  frequently  on  long  stalks.  The 
European  Capparis  spinosa,  whose  buds  furnish  the  capers  of 
our  dinner  tables,  is  of  this  family. 

BLADDERPOD  (Isdmeris  arbdrea,  Nutt.).  Flowers  showy, 
dull  yellow,  with  protruding  stamens,  borne  in  terminal, 
bracted  racemes.  Leaves  thrice-divided,  the  divisions  nar- 
row. 

The  Bladderpod  is  a  shrub  from  3  to  10  feet  high,  with 
hard,  yellow  wood  and  an  exceedingly  characteristic,  disagree- 
able smell  in  leaf  and  blossom — a  sort  of  skunk  among  flowers, 
whose  beauty  is  best  enjoyed  at  long  range.  It  is  a  Southern 
Californian  and  at  home  alike  on  the  fog-drenched  bluffs  of  the 
seashore  and  the  arid  sands  of  the  desert.  An  interesting 
character  of  the  Bladderpod  is  the  feature  that  is  responsible 
for  the  common  name — the  large,  leathery,  much  inflated 
seed  vessels,  like  fat  pea  pods  which  droop  gracefully  on  long 
stalks  and  are  very  decorative. 

76 


STONECROP  FAMILY 

(Crassulacece) 

Ours,  fleshy  perennial  herbs,  sepals,  petals  and  pistils  of  the 
same  number,  stamens  twice  as  many. 

HEX-AND-CHICKENS  (Cotyledon  pulvendenta,  Benth  &  H.). 
Flowers  reddish,  corolla  cylindrical  from  the  upright  habit 
of  the  five  close-set  petals,  about  \  inch  long,  clustered  at  the 
top  of  a  stout,  rather  leafy  scape,  a  foot  or  more  high,  rising 
from  a  large,  flattened  rosette  of  succulent  but  thinnish  leaves 
— the  whole  plant  covered  with  a  conspicuous  white-mealy 
"bloom."  Common  in  the  chaparral  belt  of  Southern  Cali- 
fornia on  rocky  slopes.  Blooms  in  summer. 

There  are  several  species  of  Cotyledon,  but  they  are  a  crit- 
ical genus  and  it  requires  careful  analysis  to  determine  them. 
The  genus  itself  is  readily  enough  recognized,  however,  and  all 
species  go  indiscriminately  with  the  non-professional,  as  Hen- 
and-chickens,  from  their  habit  of  surrounding  themselves  with 
young  off-sets  which  nestle  in  a  circle  close  to  the  parent. 
The  plants  are  often  found  in  arid  situations,  and  the  succulent 
leaves  make  a  grateful  temporary  substitute  for  water  with 
thirsty  travelers,  whence  the  name,  Hunter's  Rock  Leek. 
77 


SAXIFRAGE  FAMILY 

(Saxifragaceai) 

Shrubs  and  herbs,  stamens  and  petals  usually  inserted  on  the 
calyx  as  in  the  Rose  Family,  but  distinguished  from  this  usu- 
ally by  the  absence  of  stipules  and  fewer  stamens  (5  to  10), 
though  in  a  few  genera  the  stamens  are  very  numerous. 

SYRINGA  (Philadelphus  Leicisii,  var.  calij 'ornicus,  Gray). 
Flowers  fragrant  and  showy,  about  an  inch  in  diameter,  white, 
of  4  or  5  petals,  with  a  centre  of  conspicuous,  very  numerous 
yellow  stamens,  in  terminal  panicles.  A  shrub  about  the 
height  of  a  man,  sometimes  twice  that.  Mountains  of  Cali- 
fornia, Oregon,  and  Washington. 

The  Syringa  in  bloom  is  one  of  the  glorious  sights  of  summer 
in  the  Yosemite  region  and  other  mid-altitudes  of  the  Sierra 
Nevada,  often  forming  thickets  along  streams.  Its  resem- 
blance to  the  familiar  Syringa  of  the  gardens  is  marked  and 
makes  it  of  easy  recognition. 

There  are  four  or  five  species  and  varieties  of  Philadelphus 

indigenous  to  the  West,  one  being  recognized  as  the  Idaho 

state  flower.    The  young,  straight,  pithy  shoots  of  Philadelphus 

Gardonianus,  Lindl.,  were  used  by  the  Indians  for  arrow  shafts. 

78 


GOOSEBERRY  (Ribes  speciosum,  Pursh).  Flowers 
bright  red,  half  an  inch  long  or  more,  exclusive  of  the  much 
exserted  stamens,  drooping  in  few-flowered  racemes  which 
fringe  the  spreading  branches  at  short  intervals;  petals  erect, 
shorter  than  the  red,  petal-like  calyx  lobes.  Leaves  rounded 
and  slightly  lobed,  thickish,  shining,  dark  green.  An  ever- 
green shrub  4  to  8  feet  high,  with  leafy,  reddish,  bristly 
branches,  armed  with  stout,  triple  spines  at  the  leaf  axils. 
Occurring  abundantly  in  the  foothills  of  Southern  California 
and  blooming  from  January  to  April. 

From  a  botanical  standpoint  this  is  a  true  gooseberry;  but 
the  fruit  is  small,  dry  and  exceedingly  prickly,  a  very  mockery 
of  a  berry.  As  a  flowering  plant,  however,  it  is  a  glory,  and  the 
prospect  of  finding  it  in  blossom  is  in  itself  a  sufficient  incen- 
tive to  send  one  to  the  hills  of  a  midwinter  day.  A  bush  in  full 
bloom  is  a  memorable  sight,  the  abundant  pendulous  blossoms 
lining  the  stems  for  a  space  sometimes  of  several  feet  and 
seeming  fairly  to  drip  color.  It  does  well  in  cultivation. 

The  general  aspect  of  the  drooping  blossoms  somewhat  sug- 
gests a  small  Fuchsia,  for  which  reason  the  popular  name  Fuch- 
sia-flowered Gooseberry  is  also  given  to  it. 


70 


YELLOW  WILD  CURRANT  (Ribes  tenuiflorum,  Lindl.).  Flow- 
ers bright  yellow,  both  calyx  and  petals;  in  many-flowered, 
green,  bracted  racemes,  rather  closely  scattered  along  the 
thornless  branches:  the  calyx  salver-shaped  with  spreading 
lobes,  the  short  petals  like  a  tiny  crown  in  the  midst.  Leaves 
light  green,  small  and  thin,  roundish,  several  lobed  at  the  tip. 
A  deciduous  shrub,  3  to  10  feet  high,  flowering  in  late  winter  or 
early  spring  and  bearing  later  a  smooth,  amber-colored  berry. 
Occurring  along  canon  streams  and  in  washes  from  Southern 
California,  to  Washington,  and  eastward  to  Montana,  Color- 
ado and  New  Mexico. 

The  massed  bushes  of  the  Yellow  Wild  Currant  form  one  of 
the  choice  attractions  in  Flora's  wild  flower  show  of  early 
spring.  In  its  general  effect  the  plant  resembles  the  yellow- 
flowered  form  of  the  familiar  Missouri  or  Buffalo  Currant 
(R.  aureum  of  the  nurseryman)  cultivated  for  ornament  in  old- 
fashioned  gardens  of  the  East;  but  its  blossoms  are  less  showy, 
and  lack  the  spicy  fragrance  of  the  Missouri  Currant. 

There  are  on  the  Pacific  coast  several  species  of  true  Cur- 
rants (readily  distinguished  from  the  Gooseberries  which  are 
of  the  same  genus,  by  the  absence  of  thorns  and  prickles), 
but  the  berries  of  all  seem  to  be  of  negligible  food  value. 
80 


PINK  WILD  CURRANT  (Ribes  glutinosum,  Benth.).  Flowers 
rose  to  pale  pink,  or  white  above,  the  spreading-lobed  calyx 
colored  like  a  corolla,  abundantly  borne  in  many-flowered. 
long,  drooping  racemes  that  open  gradually,  the  bloom  thus 
continuing  for  a  considerable  period.  Leaves  alternate,  1 
to  2  inches  across,  more  or  less  wrinkled  with  3  to  5  shallow 
lobes,  glutinous  particularly  on  the  under  side — the  whole 
plant  exhaling  a  strong,  rather  disagreeable  odor;  blooming 
in  winter  and  early  spring  in  the  lower  altitudes  of  the  Coast 
Ranges  of  California,  particularly  to  the  southward. 

The  Pink  Wild  Currant  is  an  erect  much-branching  shrub  of 
compelling  beauty  when  in  bloom,  from  4  to  12  feet  high,  and 
quite  worthy  of  the  place  in  flower  gardens  which  is  sometimes 
given  it.  The  black,  purplish  berry,  however,  is  a  calamity, 
dry  and  bitter.  The  plant  is  quite  variable  and  this  and  sev- 
eral closely  allied  forms  described  as  R.  sanguineum,  R.  mal- 
raceum,  etc.,  have  caused  botanists  a  lot  of  trouble  to  system- 
atize. The  root  of  one  of  these  varieties  used  to  have  some 
vogue  among  the  Luiseno  Indians  as  a  remedy  for  toothache. 

Because  of  the  characteristic  odor  exhaled  by  this  bush 
it  is  sometimes  called  Incense  Shrub. 


81 


WHIPPLEA  (Whipplea  modesta,  Torr.).  Flowers  fragrant, 
small  (hardly  \  inch  in  diameter),  white,  becoming  greenish, 
calyx  and  corolla  5-cleft  and  colored  alike,  borne  in  clusters 
at  the  end  of  the  branches.  A  low  trailing  plant  with  opposite, 
3-nerved  leaves  about  an  inch  long  and  somewhat  hairy,  the 
stems  slender  and  spreading.  Blooming  in  March  and  April 
in  the  forests  of  the  Coast  Ranges  of  California  from  Monterey 
northward,  particularly  under  redwood  trees. 

The  name  Whipplea  preserves  for  us  the  memory  of  au  ac- 
complished military  officer,  Lieutenant  Amiel  W.  Whipple,  the 
commander  of  a  Government  Survey  exploring,  in  1853  and 
1854,  along  the  35th  parallel  of  latitude  for  a  Pacific  railway 
route.  It  was  this  expedition,  particularly  fortunate  in  its 
botanic  finds,  that  brought  to  light  this  little  wilding  of  the 
redwoods,  whose  unassuming  charm  seems  to  have  appealed 
to  Doctor  Torrey  when  he  gave  it  its  specific  designation 
modesta — "the  modest."  Whipple,  promoted  during  the  Civil 
War  to  a  major-generalship,  met  his  death  at  the  battle  of 
Chancellorsville  in  the  flower  of  his  manhood.  His  name  is 
associated  not  only  with  this  genus,  but  with  several  species, 
including  the  superb  Yucca  Wkipplei  of  Southern  California. 

82 


INDIAN  RHUBARB  (Saxifraga  peltata,  Torr.).  Flowers  about 
\  inch  across,  rose  color  or  whitish,  disposed  in  ample  panicles 
on  fleshy,  leafless  scapes  1  to  3  feet  tall;  blooming  in  spring  or 
early  summer  out  of  bare  earth.  It  occurs  on  the  rocky  bor- 
ders' of  rapidly  flowing  mountain  streams,  or  even  in  the 
water  itself,  from  the  Yosemite  region  northward  in  Cali- 
fornia, at  middle  altitudes  or  in  the  foothills. 

The  feature  of  the  Indian  Rhubarb  which  is  most  likely  to 
call  attention  to  its  presence,  is  the  remarkable  leaves.  These 
do  not  develop  until  after  the  flowers,  which,  indeed,  by  rea- 
son of  their  early  appearance,  are  often  not  seen  at  all  by  vis- 
itors in  the  mountain  regions  which  the  plant  frequents.  The 
leaves  are  all  basal,  from  a  foot  to  two  feet  in  diameter,  with 
numerous  lobes  and  cuttings  at  the  edge,  and  a  cup-like  cavity 
in  the  centre.  They  are  borne  on  long  stout  leaf-stalks,  and 
both  these  and  the  flower-stalk  are  edible — at  least  by  In- 
dians— a  fact  to  which  the  common  name  Indian  Rhubarb  is 
attributable. 


ALUM-ROOT  (Heiichera  micrantha,  Dougl.).  Flowers  white, 
calyx  bell-shaped,  petals  five,  growing  in  a  loose,  feathery, 
narrow  panicle  \  foot  to  1|  feet  long,  topping  a  slender,  naked 
stem  a  foot  or  more  tall.  Leaves  long-petioled,  hairy,  heart- 
shaped  at  base,  1  to  4  inches  long,  more  or  less  mottled  and 
red-veined,  all  basal.  Perennial,  from  a  stout  rootstock, 
blooming  in  summer  on  shady  slopes  and  in  the  crevices  of 
rock  walls,  in  the  Coast  Ranges  and  the  Sierra  Nevada  (Yose- 
mite  region),  from  Central  California  to  British  Columbia. 

The  genus  Heuchera,  of  which  there  are  some  six  or  eight 
species  more  or  less  common  in  the  West,  was  given  this  name 
by  Linnaeus  in  honor  of  an  old-time  German  botanist  Heucher. 
The  species  here  described  is  probably  the  commonest  on  the 
Pacific  Coast  and  is  fairly  representative  of  the  generic  appear- 
ance, there  being  a  strong  family  resemblance  among  the  dif- 
ferent species.  The  root  of  the  Heucheras  has  had  some  vogue 
in  medicine,  because  of  its  pronounced  astringency,  whence 
the  common  name  Alum-root,  applied  indiscriminately  to  them 
all.  The  plants  take  quite  good-naturedly  to  domestication 
and  gardeners  find  them  desirable,  particularly  for  rockeries 
and  borders.  The  foliage  is  disposed  to  redden  with  age  and 
is  then  exceedingly  ornamental. 
84 


ROSE  FAMILY 

(Rosacece) 

Herbs,  shrubs  or  trees  with  alternate  leaves,  simple  or  com- 
pound, and  usually  stipules.  Stamens  generally  numerous: 
these  and  the  petals  inserted  on  the  calyx. 

ISLAY.  WILD  CHERRY  (Primus  ilicifolia,  Walp.).  Flow- 
ers white,  in  rather  dense  axillary  racemes  1  to  3  inches  long. 
Leaves  glossy,  leathery  and  spiny-toothed,  suggesting  the  holly 
foliage.  An  evergreen  shrub  or  small  tree,  blooming  in  May 
or  June,  in  the  chaparral  belt  and  canons  of  the  mountains. 
Central  and  Southern  California,  and  western  Arizona. 

The  cherry  part  of  Prunus  ilicifolia  is  a  surprise.  It  ripens 
in  the  autumn  and  is  a  dark  red  drupe,  half  an  inch  or  so 
in  diameter,  that  looks  very  tempting,  but  proves  to  be  almost 
all  stone.  The  thin  covering  of  pulp,  however,  is  really  very 
palatable  and  sweet  when  thoroughly  mature.  The  Indians, 
whose  patient  observation  and  experimentation  got  good  out 
of  many  an  unpromising  subject,  found  the  stones  of  great 
value.  Breaking  them  open,  the  large  kernels  were  crushed 
in  mortars,  leached  of  their  bitterness  and  boiled.  The  result 
was  a  nutritious  mush.  Islay  is  pronounced  is-lah'-ee  . 
85 


THIMBLE-BERRY  (Rubiis  mdlidnits.  Moc.).  Flowers  white, 
or  tinged  with  pink,  1  to  2  inches  in  diameter,  in  few-flowered 
terminal  clusters  on  long  stems.  Leaves,  suggesting  the  maple, 
palmate,  5-lobed,  3  to  12  inches  across,  long-petioled  and  hori- 
zontally spreading.  A  bush  from  2  to  8  feet  high,  the  erect 
or  trailing  stems  without  thorns,  blooming  in  late  spring  or 
early  summer,  from  Central  California  (including  the  Yosemite 
region)  in  mountain  woods  northward  through  Oregon  and 
Washington  to  Alaska,  and  eastward  through  Utah  and  Col- 
orado to  Michigan,  with  a  fondness  for  stream  borders. 

Ihe  fruit  of  the  1  himble-berry  is  red  when  ripe,  looking 
like  a  depressed  raspberry,  as  indeed  it  is,  and  variable  as  to 
ecilility.  In  localities  of  little  rainfall  it  tends  to  dryness, 
seeds  and  insipidity;  but  in  the  damper  regions  of  the  northern 
coast,  it  becomes  fleshy  and  luscious.  In  its  eastern  range  it 
is  sometimes  known  as  Salmon-berry,  a  name  more  properly 
applied  to  a  kindred  species  with  yellowish  fruit. 

Some  botanists  discard  Mocino's  name  Rubus  nutlanus 
(referring  to  Kootka,  a  locality  of  Fritish  Columbia)  and  pre- 
fer Nuttall's  name  for  this  species — R.  parviflorus. 


CHAMISE.  GREASEWOOD  (Adenostoma  fasciculatum,  Hook 
&  A.).  Flowers  white,  individually  very  small,  but  disposed 
in  showy,  crowded  panicles,  several  inches  in  height  terminal 
on  the  branches.  Leaves  evergreen,  needle-like,  about  j  inch 
long,  and  clustered  along  the  branches.  A  shrub  2  to  15  feet 
high,  flowering  from  April  to  June,  and  clothing  great  areas 
of  mountain  sides  in  California  with  a  dense,  uniform,  dark 
green  covering  in  effect  like  heather  in  the  Old  World;- particu- 
larly abundant  southward  and  near  the  Coast.  After  flow- 
ering, the  abundant  reddish-brown  seed  vessels  give  a  decided 
color  note  to  the  mountain  slopes. 

Greasewood  is  a  term  given  in  the  Southwest  to  so  many 
different  plants  that  it  is  almost  meaningless.  It  is  applied  to 
this  Adenostoma  doubtless  because  the  roots  have  long  been  a 
recognized  fuel  in  Southern  California,  and  when  thoroughly 
dry,  burn  as  though  they  contained  grease  indeed.  Chamise 
(pronounced  cha-meeze)  is  an  Americanized  form  of  the  Span- 
ish chamiso. 

In  the  extreme  south  a  nearly  related  species  is  met,  Aden- 
ostoma sparsifolium,  Torr.,  distinguished  by  scattered  leaves 
and  a  red,  cedar-like  bark  that  hangs  in  shreds.     It  is  known 
in  popular  parlance  as  Red  Shank  or  Bastard  Cedar. 
87 


CALIFORNIA  HOLLY  (Heteromeles  arbutifolia,  Roemer). 
Flowers  w  hite,  small,  borne  in  dense  terminal  panicles.  Leaves 
evergreen,  leathery,  rigid  and  rather  glossy;  2  to  4  inches 
long,  oblong  and  more  or  less  saw-toothed.  A  shrub  or  small 
tree  from  6  to  25  feet  high,  blooming  from  May  until  August, 
according  to  locality,  common  in  the  chaparral  belt  of  the 
Coast  Ranges  of  California. 

Better  known  than  the  flowers  of  the  California  Holly  are 
its  cheerful  red  berries,  which  abundantly  adorn  the  little 
trees  in  late  autumn,  and  are  extensively  used  for  Christmas 
decoration  on  the  Pacific  Coast.  The  ?ommon  name  is  not 
happy,  for  the  plant  is  not  at  all  related  to  the  true  holly.  The 
English,  who  have  cultivated  it  to  some  extent  in  their  gardens, 
are  more  accurate  in  calling  it  California  May-bush,  the  May- 
bush  or  May  being  the  English  hawthorn  which  is  of  the  same 
family  with  our  plant.  Christmas-berry  is  another  popular 
name,  and  Spanish  Californians,  who  found  some  use  for  the 
berries  as  the  basis  of  a  crink,  called  it  toybn,  The  Indians 
made  a  regular  article  of  diet  of  the  berries,  toasting  them  first 
over  hot  coals,  or  boiling  them. 


CALIFORNIA  WILD  ROSE  (Rosa  calif ornica,  Cham.  &  S.). 
Flowers  pink,  fragrant,  1  to  2  inches  in  diameter,  in  few  to 
many-flowered  corymbs,  or  solitary.  Bushes  3  to  10  feet 
high,  found  from  Lower  California  to  Oregon,  flowering  prac- 
tically throughout  the  year  at  the  lower  altitudes. 

Of  the  half  dozen  or  so  species  of  Pacific  Coast  wild  roses 
R.  californica  is  the  most  common,  often  forming  dense  thick- 
ets along  roadsides,  in  moist  meadows,  or  upon  the  banks  of 
streams.  No  California  wild  flower  gave  greater  pleasure  to 
the  pioneering  Spaniards  of  a  century  and  a  half  ago.  The 
diaries  of  the  early  Franciscan  missionaries  contain  many  ref- 
erences to  it,  always  with  enthusiasm  and  affection;  for  it 
reminded  those  homesick  wanderers  of  their  own  sweet  roses 
of  Spain.  And  so  they  called  this  wilding  of  the  West  the  rose 
of  Castile.  Even  to  the  present  day  this  name  (in  its  Spanish 
form  Rosa  Castilla]  continues  in  use  in  the  remoter  mountain 
districts  of  Southern  California — a  pleasant  link  with  that 
early  day  when  Spain  was  conducting  the  humane  experiment 
of  reducing  a  race  by  religion  instead  of  arms. 

A  kindred  species  known  as  the  Redwood  Rose  (R.  gymno- 
carpa,  Xutt.)  will  sometimes  be  found  in  shady  woods  of  the 
Coast  Ranges.     It  is  of  smaller,  daintier  habit. 
89 


MOUNTAIN  MAHOGANY  (Cercocarfusbeluloides^uit.).  This 
is  a  shrub  or  small  tree,  under  best  conditions  20  ieet  or  so 
high,  but  sometimes  only  2  or  3  feet,  distinguished  by  its  small, 
wedge-shaped  leaves,  distinctly  veined,  and  small  solitary  or 
clustered,  apetalous,  whitish  flowers,  each  resembling  a  little 
cup  full  of  stamens.  After  flowering  the  seed  vessel  develops 
in  early  summer  a  conspicuous,  feathery,  curling  tail,  two  or 
three  inches  long,  enclosed  in -a  tubular  case- — a  characteristic 
feature  of  the  plant.  Blooming  in  March  or  April,  and  com- 
mon in  the  chaparral  belt  of  the  mountains  from  Southern 
California  nearly  to  the  Oregon  line. 

Botanists  make  numerous  species  of  Mountain  Mahogany, 
and,  while  the  botanical  distinctions  are  in  many  cases  diffi- 
cult to  fix,  there  is  a  sufficient  general  similarity  among  all 
to  make  the  genus  of  easy  recognition.  The  wood  is  remark- 
able for  its  extreme  hardness,  a  character  to  which  the  com- 
mon name  is  owing.  Out  of  it,  in  default  of  iron,  the  Indians 
made  many  of  their  implements,  such  as  digging  sticks  for 
grubbing  up  edible  bulbs,  mescal  sticks  for  cutting  out  the 
buds  of  the  agave,  fish-spears,  arrow-tips,  and  so  on. 

The  feathery  tailed  seeds  when  mature  are  loose  in  their 
tubes,  and  are  easily  lifted  by  the  wind  and  scattered. 
90 


MOUNTAIN  MISERY  (Chamcebatia  foliolosa,  Benth.).  Flow- 
ers white,  ^  inch  or  so  across,  with  five  petals  and  a  centre  of 
numerous  stamens,  the  whole  resembling  a  strawberry  blos- 
som, in  few-flowered  terminal  clusters.  Leaves  1  to  3  inches 
long,  finely  dissected,  fern-like  and  very  sticky,  resinous  and  of 
a  balsamic  odor.  A  spreading,  much-branched  shrub,  1  to  2 
feet  high,  blooming  from  May  to  July  and  common  in  the 
Sierra  Nevada  woods  of  Central  California.  It  is  noticeably 
abundant  in  the  Yosemite  region,  and  carpets  considerable 
areas  in  the  open  coniferous  forests. 

The  common  name  Mountain  Misery  is  not  without  appro- 
priateness, when  one  comes  to  know  the  plant  intimately. 
The  gummy  secretion  which  thickly  covers  stems  and  foliage 
comes  off  at  a  touch,  and  after  a  tramp  through  a  patch  of  the 
plant  one's  clothing  and  shoes  become  hopelessly  smeared  with 
it.  So  does  the  wool  of  sheep  that  comes  in  contact  with  it, 
and  the  bells  of  cows  set  adrift  in  the  woods  to  browse  may  get 
so  deadened  in  sound  by  resinous  coating  from  the  plant  as 
to  be  quite  useless  for  betraying  the  animals'  whereabouts. 
Better  regard  Chamcebatia  (pronounced  kam' e-bd-shia)  at  a 
discreet  distance.  Tarweed  and  Bear's  Clover  are  other  local 
names. 

91 


PEA  FAMILY 

(Leguminosci) 

Herbs,  shrubs,  or  trees,  with  alternate,  usually  compound 
leaves  with  stipules,  and  flowers  often  papilionaceous,  that  is, 
with  one  petal  (called  the  banner  or  standard)  conspicuously 
larger  than  the  others  and  turned  backward  or  spreading. 
Stamens  usually  ten,  sometimes  united  below  into  a  tube  about 
the  pistil;  sometimes  nine  so  united  and  one  distinct;  sometimes 
all  distinct.  Fruit  a  legume,  that  is,  like  a  pea-pod. 

LUPINE  (Luplnus  Stiver sii,  Kellogg).  Flowers  with  a  yellow 
banner  fading  to  salmon,  and  rose-pink  lateral  petals,  disposed 
in  a  terminal  raceme;  leaves  compound,-  with  several  narrow 
finger-like  leaflets  radiating  from  a .  common  centre;  plant, 
annual,  6  inches  to  1|  feet  high. 

This  strikingly  handsome  flower,  blooming  in  summer,  is 
one  of  the  noticeable  wildings  of  the  Yosemite  Valley  and  the 
Sierra  Nevada  of  Central  California.  It  is  also  reported 
from  a  few  places  in  the  Coast  Ranges,  but  seems  to  be  no- 
where abundant.  A  species  with  all  the  petals  yellow  (L. 
citrinus,  Kellogg)  sometimes  is  found  in  the  same  range. 

92 


YELLOW  LUPINE  (Lupinus  arbor eus,  Sims).  Flowers  frag- 
rant, yellow,  in  long  racemes;  leaves  compound  with  finger- 
like  leaflets  radiating  from  a  common  centre.  A  stout, 
shrubby  plant  4  to  10  feet  high,  blooming  in  spring  and  common 
in  the  sands  bordering  on  the  sea  from  Central  California 
southward. 

The  Yellow  Lupine  has  played  an  important  part  in  holding 
shifting  sands  along  the  Coast,  the  huge  roots,  sometimes  20 
feet  in  length,  being  natural  sand  binders.  This  quality  was 
turned  to  particular  service  a  number  of  years  ago  at  San 
Francisco  where  a  considerable  area  of  bare  sand-lots,  which 
had  been  continually  blown  about  by  the  strong  ocean  winds 
from  time  immemorial,  were  efficiently  stabilized  in  a  year 
oy  the  systematic  planting  of  this  Yellow  Lupine. 

Besides  Lupinus  arboreus  there  are  five  or  six  other  yellow- 
flowered  species  indigenous  to  California.  One  of  these,  L. 
luti'dus,  Kellogg,  3  to  5  feet  high,  has  proved  to  be  a  serious 
pest  in  some  interior  valleys  of  Northern  California,  from  its 
habit  of  monopolizing  the  ground.  It  is  locally  kno.vn  as 
Butter-weed  from  the  color  of  the  flowers. 


93 


CANON  LUPINS  (Lupinus  cytisoidcs,  Ag.).  Flowers  very 
showy,  dark  pink  to  magenta,  sometimes  blue  or  white,  in 
dense  terminal  racemes  a  foot  or  so  in  length;  leaves  divided 
into  7  to  10  fingers  2  inches  or  more  long;  stems  marked  with 
longitudinal  stripes  and  minutely  hairy.  A  stout,  herbaceous 
perennial,  3  to  6  feet  high,  blooming  April  to  August,  moun- 
tains of  Southern  California,  north  to  Oregon. 

The  Canon  Lupine,  as  its  name  indicates,  is  particularly 
at  home  in  mountain  canons,  where  it  often  covers  considerable 
areas  on  the  damp  banks  and  moist  flats,  especially  along 
streams.  It  is  a  magnificent  plant  at  its  best,  and  the  mild 
glow  of  its  flowers  in  the  veiled  light  of  the  more  or  less  shaded 
situations  it  loves,  makes  an  effect  not  soon  forgotten. 

Cf  about  70  species  of  lupine  indigenous  to  the  United  States, 
most  are  found  wild  only  on  the  Pacific  Slope.  In  spite  of  the 
abundance  of  the  genus  and  its  membership  in  a  family  that 
makes  such  valuable  contribution  to  man's  food  needs  as  the 
pea,  bean,  and  lentil,  our  lupines  seem  to  have  played  little,  if 
any,  part  in  the  service  of  man — even  aboriginal  man — beyond 
the  occasional  use  of  the  young  plants  of  some  species  as 
greens.  They  were  eaten  either  boiled  or  roasted. 


94 


DEERWEED  (Hosackia  glabra,  Torr.).  Flowers  yellow  turn- 
ing reddish,  j  inch  long  or  so,  in  numerous  close-set  umbels  on 
slender,  leafy  branches,  more  or  less  woody  and  spreading. 
Leaves  small,  of  usually  3  leaflets.  Seed-vessel  a  slender,  some- 
what curbed,  pod,  an  inch  or  two  long,  with  a  long  point. 

The  Deerweed  is  a  somewhat  woody  perennial  from  2  to  6 
feet  high,  common  throughout  California  below  about  3,000 
feet,  particularly  on  dry  hillsides  and  mesas.  It  may  be  found 
in  bloom  at  all  seasons  (at  least  in  the  South),  often  giving  a 
distinct  coloring  to  the  foothill  slopes.  It  is  a  valuable  bee- 
plant,  known  to  beemen  as  Wild  Alfalfa. 

There  are  some  40  species  of  Hosackia  indigenous  to  the 
Western  United  States.  Some  botanists  throw  them  all  into 
Lotus,  so  that  our  plant  will  be  found  mentioned  as  Lotua 
glaber.  This  is  unfortunate  for  the  name  Hosackia  com- 
memorates one  who  should  not  be  forgotten — a  certain 
Dr.  David  Hosack,  who  was  professor  of  botany  at  Columbia 
College  something  more  than  a  century  ago.  His  botanic 
garden  in  what  is  now  the  heart  of  New  York  City  was  one  of 
the  first  to  be  established  in  America.  The  famous  botanist 
Pursh  once  worked  there  as  gardener;  and  John  Torrey,  one  of 
America's  most  celebrated  botanists,  was  a  student  of  Hosack's. 
95 


BUR  CLOVER  (Medicdgo  denticulata,  Willd.).  Flowers  very 
small,  bright  yellow  like  specks  of  gold,  2  or  3  together  on  an 
axillary  footstalk,  rising  out  of  clover-like  leaves  with  slashed 
stipules,  and  succeeded  by  curious  little  pods  coiled  twice  and 
armed  with  hooked  prickles.  Blooming  from  January  to 
June,  and  common  everywhere. 

The  BUT  Clover  is  an  Old  World  plant  of  some  forage  value 
— a  native  of  the  Mediterranean  region,  which  has  become 
introduced  on  the  Pacific  Coast,  though  nobody  knows  just 
when  or  how.  Possibly  the  seeds,  which,  being  prickly,  cling 
very  persistently  to  any  likely  hold,  stole  into  California  on 
the  wholly  back  of  sheep  which  the  Missionary  Fathers  had 
brought  over  from  Spain.  The  plant  withers  away  with  the 
coming  of  the  dry  season,  and  then  the  ground  will  be  strewn 
^ith  the  brown  mature  seed  vessels,  which  are  exceedingly 
nutritious  and  eagerly  eaten  by  sheep  and  cattle. 

Sometimes  also  found  wild  in  California  is  the  similar 
Medicago  lupulina,  L.,  the  Black  Medick  of  the  Old  World, 
but  its  more  numerous  flowers  are  in  stout  spikes,  and  its  pods, 
which  are  black  when  ripe  and  kidney-shaped,  are  without 
prickles. 


RATTLEWEED.  LOCOWEED  (Astrdgalus  leucopsis,  Torr.). 
Of  the  1,000  species  of  Astragalus  in  the  world,  35  or  40  occur 
on  the  Pacific  Coast.  They  are  mostly  perennial  herbs  with 
odd  pinnate  leaves,  the  leaflets  very  numerous.  The  usually 
small,  narrow  flowers  are  borne  chiefly  in  spikes  or  racemes  on 
long  peduncles,  arising  from  the  axils  of  the  leaves.  The  seed- 
pods  are  often  noticeably  inflated  like  bladders. 

Astragalus  leucopsis  bears  pods  of  this  sort,  and  is  further 
distinguished  by  greenish-white  flowers,  and  pale  leaves  with 
10  to  15  pairs  of  oval  or  oblong  leaflets  each  |  inch  long  or  so. 
It  blooms  from  March  till  May,  and  is  very  coma  on  in  South- 
ern California  in  the  unbroken  soil  of  mesas  and  plains. 

The  term  Locoweed,  applied  to  this  species  and  many 
others,  is  given  because  animals  that  feed  on  the  herbage  have 
a  tendency  to  become  insane  or  loco  in  Spanish  parlance. 
Doctor  Hall,  in  his  valuable  handbook  "A  Yosemite  Flora," 
states  that  the  deleterious  effect  has  been  found  to  be  due  not 
to  the  plant  itself  but  to  the  presence  of  the  metal  barium,  which 
the  plant  gathers  from  the  soil.  This  varies  in  different  locali- 
ties; hence  the  wide  difference  of  opinion  as  to  the  danger  from 
locoweeds. 


97 


BEACH  BLUE  LUPINE.  CHAMISSO'S  LUPINE  (Lupinus 
Chamissonis,  Esch.).  Flowers  blue  or  sometimes  violet  or 
white,  the  banner  with  a  yellow  spot,  somewhat  wrhorled  in 
rather  compact  racemes;  leaves  with  7  to  9  leaflets,  very  silky 
on  both  sides,  giving  the  plant  a  silvery  green  aspect. 

Chamisso's  Lupine  is  a  somewhat  shrubby  plant,  1|  to  3 
feet  high,  growing  usually  in  clumps,  and  is  cf  frequent  occur- 
rence on  the  sand  dunes  of  the  sea  beach  from  Southern  Cali- 
fornia to  Oregon.  Its  showy  flowers  may  be  found  in  blossom 
almost  every  month  of  the  year.  The  species  is  quite  variable, 
and  particular  botanists  are  accordingly  tempted  to  split  it 
up  into  several  species,  but  the  points  of  distinction  are  diffi- 
cult to  define  with  certainty. 

The  specific  name  of  this  plant  is  commemorative  of  the 
poet-botanist  Adelbert  von  Chamisso,  and  was  bestowed  by 
Chamisso's  fellow  naturalist  of  the  Kotzebue  exploring  expedi- 
tion, Johann  Friedrich  Eschscholz.  These  botanists  col- 
lected in  1816  in  the  vicinity  of  San  Francisco  Bay,  and  it. 
was  there  that  Chamisso  discovered  the  California  Poppy, 
naming  it  in  honor  of  Eschscholz.  The  latter's  dedication  cf 
this  beautiful  lupine  to  his  comrade  is  a  pleasant  instance  of 
friendly  \it-for-tat. 

98 


PRIDE  OF  CALIFORNIA  (Lathy  rus  splendens,  Kellogg).  Flow- 
ers showy,  deep  crimson,  a  couple  of  inches  long  or  more,  the 
banner  (which  is  an  inch  or  so  long)  leaning  back  upon  the 
flower  stalk;  several  in  a  pendent  cluster.  Leaves  with  8  or 
10  small  scattered  leaflets,  and  bearing  tendrils  2  to  o  parted. 

This  superb  flower  (a  Pacific  Coast  cousin  of  the  garden 
sweet  pea)  is  borne  upon  a  vine  that  may  attain  a  length  of 
8  or  10  feet,  and  is  found  climbing  over  shrubs  on  dry  hillsides 
in  parts  of  Riverside  and  San  Diego  counties  of  California 
and  southwest  into  Lower  California,  blooming  in  the  spring, 
the  plant  dying  down  in  summer.  It  has  been  introduced 
into  cultivation  to  some  extent. 

A  much  commoner,  but  far  less  beautiful  Lathyrus,  is  L. 
rsstitus,  Xutt.,  commonly  known  as  Wild  Pea,  and  found 
climbing  about  the  chaparral  of  the  foothills  from  the  San 
Francisco  region  south  to  Lower  California.  The  leaves 
(tendril  bearing)  have  o  or  6  pairs  of  leaflets,  ^  to  1  inch  long, 
and  the  flowers,  blooming  from  February  until  May,  are  violet, 
rose,  or  nearlv  white. 


WILD  CLOVER  (Trifolium  Iridentatum,  Lindl.).  There  are 
some  30  species  and  varieties  of  native  clovers  indigenous  to 
the  Pacific  Coast,  not  always  obvious  as  clovers  to  those  peo- 
ple whose  observations  have  been  limited  to  the  common  white 
and  red  clovers  of  Eastern  fields  and  roadsides.  All,  however, 
are  low  herbs,  distinguished  by  compound  leaves  with  adhering 
stipules  and  3  leaflets  which  are  usually  toothed,  and  small 
flowers,  purple,  red,  yellowish  or  white,  in  close  heads  or  umbels 
on  axillary  or  terminal  peduncles. 

T.  tridentatum  is  a  very  common  and  characteristic  species 
in  Central  and  Southern  California,  blooming  in  the  spring 
and  early  summer  on  plains  and  grassy  slopes  of  the  foothills. 
The  flowers  are  pink-purple  with  a  darker  centre  and  some- 
times with  a  whitish  tip  to  the  banner,  disposed  in  a  broad, 
flattish  head,  an  inch  or  so  across  on  footstalks  1  to  2  inches 
long.  This  species,  together  with  many  others,  used  to  form 
a  very  important  item  in  the  bill  of  fare  of  the  California  In- 
dians. They  ate  the  tender  leaves  before  flowering  both  raw 
and  cooked;  and  with  some  tribes  the  appearance  of  the  clover 
in  spring  was  the  occasion  of  special  ceremonial  dances.  The 
seeds  of  a  few  species  were  also  used  for  food. 

100 


MESQUIT  (Prosopis  juliflora,  DC.).  A  shrub  or  small 
tree,  attaining  a  height  of  15  or  20  feet,  with  widely  spreading, 
spiny  branches,  and  forked  leaf-stems  bearing  numerous  pairs 
of  narrow  leaflets,  which  are  deciduous  in  winter.  The  small 
yellowish  flowers  are  borne  in  spring  in  conspicuous,  dense, 
cylindrical  narrow  spikes,  4  or  5  inches  long. 

The  Mesquit  under  several  varietal  names  is  found  abund- 
antly in  the  Colorado  Desert  of  Southern  California  (and  oc- 
casionally farther  west  in  sandy  washes  and  on  dry  mesas  of  the 
Coast  country),  eastward  to  Utah,  Colorado,  and  Texas,  and 
southward  to  Mexico,  presenting,  however,  several  varieties. 
The  flat  seed  pods,  4  to  6  inches  long,  contain  numerous  small 
beans,  which  were  an  important  food  supply  of  the  desert 
Indians.  Indeed  the  tree  has  played  many  parts  in  aboriginal 
life.  From  the  sweetish  pulp  of  the  pods  a  sort  of  confection 
was  made;  the  wood,  exceedingly  hard  and  heavy,  was  used 
in  building;  a  black  dye  was  obtained  from  the  sap;  a  mucilag- 
inous drink  for  sore  throat  was  made  from  the  clear  gum  that 
exudes  from  wounded  limbs;  and  the  twigs  were  used  in  making 
coarse  baskets.  The  wood  is  an  important  fuel  in  the  South- 
west. The  blossoms  are  rare  pasture  for  bees,  and  the  best 
Mesquit  honey  is  almost  unrivaled  in  excellence. 
101 


DALEA  (Dalea  californica,  Wats.).  The  genus  Dalea  is  an 
important  one  in  the  Far  West,  comprising  both  herbs  and 
shrubs,  with  odd-pinnate  leaves  usually  abundantly  sprinkled 
with  resinous  dots,  and  small  pea-like  blossoms  borne  in 
terminal,  often  showy,  clusters  and  spikes. 

Dalea  californica  is  a  low,  pale-barked  shrub  of  the  Colorado 
Desert  of  California,  and  in  March  or  early  April  the  bushes, 
which  are  two  or  three  feet  high,  are  a  glory  of  rich  indigo  color 
from  the  loose  clusters  of  expanded  blossoms.  In  simikr 
situations  is  the  closely  related  Dalea  Schottii,  Torr.,  with 
equally  beautiful  dark  blue  flowers,  but  there  is  a  marked  dif- 
ference in  the  foliage.  In  D.  californica  the  leaves  are  pin- 
nate with  a  few  pairs  of  leaflets  that  are  gray  with  fine  hairs, 
while  the  leaves  of  D.  Schottii  are  simple,  so  narrow  as  to  be  al- 
most needle-like,  and  with  little  or  no  hairiness. 

The  most  magnificent  of  the  Pacific  Coast  daleas  is  a  small 
tree,  D.  spinosa,  Gray,  practically  leafless,  which  grows  in  the 
same  desert  and  eastward  to  Arizona.  It  blooms  in  June, 
when  few  travelers  care  to  brave  the  desert  heat,  but  the  splen- 
dor of  this  little  tree,  in  its  dress  of  deep  indigo  blue,  is  a  sight 
that  will  repay  much  hardship.  It  goes  by  the  name  of  In- 
digo-bush and  Smoke-tree. 

102 


GERANIUM  FAMILY 

(Geraniacece) 

Herbs  with  lobed  or  compound  leaves,  and  perfect  regular 
flowers,  sepals  and  petals  usually  5  each;  stamens  as  many  or 
twice  as  many.  Seed  vessels  5,  at  first  united  about  a  persis- 
tent central  column,  finally  splitting  upward  from  below  and 
slinging  out  the  seeds. 

WOOD  SORREL  (Oxalis  oregana,  Nutt.).  Flowers  about 
an  inch  long,  white  or  rose,  frequently  dark-veined,  borne 
singly  on  rather  short  2-bracted  scapes;  leaves  cloverlike,  of  3 
leaflets  heart-shaped  at  the  outer  edge,  1  to  2  inches  broad, 
usually  rusty  underneath,  rising  from  slender  creeping  root- 
stocks. 

The  Wood  Sorrel  is  common  in  the  redwood  forests  of  the 
Pacific  Coast  from  the  Monterey  Bay  region  northward  to 
Washington,  often  making  solid  mats  of  mingled  leaf  and 
flower  over  the  ground.  The  leaves,  if  bitten,  are  pleasantly 
acid,  like  those  of  the  eastern  wood  sorrel. 


103 


FILAREE  (Erodium  cicutarium,  L'Her.).  Flowers  magenta, 
about  \  inch  across  in  few-flowered  umbels  topping  slender 
footstalks  that  rise  from  a  rosette  of  pinnate  leaves  6  inches 
long  or  so,  with  many  deeply  cut  leaflets.  Blooming  from 
January  to  June  in  valleys  and  on  the  foothills  throughout 
California  and  eastward  to  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

Filaree  is  one  of  the  most  valued  of  Far  Western  forage 
plants,  and  carpets  the  ground  in  places  like  turf.  It  is  be- 
lieved by  most  botanists  to  be  an  introduction  from  the  Old 
World,  where  it  is  a  common  weed,  but  if  so  it  was  an  early 
immigrant;  for  70  years  ago,  when  California  was  still  very  wild, 
Fremont  reported  it  in  abundance  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
state.  The  queer  common  name  is  an  American  corruption 
of  the  Spanish  alfilerilla  (pronounced  in  California  alfileree'  ya) 
meaning  little  pin;  from  the  resemblance  of  the  long-beaked 
seed  vessels  to  that  useful  article.  WTien  dry  these  long  beaks 
separate  into  5  slender  divisions  which  are  the  styles,  and, 
subtended  by  the  brown  seeds,  twist  about  in  a  way  entertain- 
ing to  the  childlike  mind  of  all  ages,  suggesting  the  hands  of  a 
clock  on  its  travels,  particularly  when  the  seed  is  set  on  end 
upon  one's  clothing;  whence  another  common  name,  "Clocks." 

104 


MEADOW  FOAM  (Floerkea  Douglasii,  Baillon).  Flowers 
showy,  an  inch  or  more  across,  yellowish  fading  to  white  at  the 
tips  or  sometimes  rosy,  bell-shaped,  conspicuously  veined,  soli- 
tary on  naked  footstalks  rising  from  the  axils  of  the  much  dis- 
sected leaves.  Blooming  in  the  spring  throughout  much  of 
California,  and  north  into  Oregon. 

This  charming  annual,  6  or  8  inches  high,  one  of  many  Pacific 
Coast  flowers  introduced  into  Old  World  gardens  three  quar- 
ters of  a  century  ago,  is  a  conspicuous  feature  of  wet  meadows, 
particularly  of  Central  California,  and  the  effect  of  its  masses 
of  creamy  flowers  rippling  amidst  the  green  is  quite  appro- 
priately suggested  by  the  common  name.  The  name  Floerkea 
commemorates  a  forgotten  German  botanist,  H.  G.  Floerke, 
who  lived  in  the  early  part  of  the  19th  century.  All  botanists, 
however,  do  not  agree  that  our  plant  is  truly  a  Floerkea,  and 
some  of  them  put  it  in  the  closely  related  genus  Limnanthes, 
and  indeed  into  a  separate  family  which  they  call  Limnan- 
thacece.  Among  florists  the  flower  is  usually  referred  to  as 
Limnanthes  Douglasii,  R.  Brown. 


105 


CALTROP  FAMILY 

(Zygop\yllace(E) 

A  family  of  herbs,  shrubs,  and  trees,  of  wide  distribution 
in  the  tropics  and  warmer  parts  of  the  world,  sparingly 
represented  on  our  Pacific  Coast  by  three  or  four  genera. 

CREOSOTE  BUSH  (Larrea  Mexicana,  Moric).  Flowers  soli- 
tary, yellow,  about  ^  inch  across,  the  five  distinct  petals  dis- 
posed to  turn  edgewise  to  the  light.  Leaves  evergreen,  of  two 
rather  thick,  curving,  pointed  leaflets,  shining  with  a  resinous 
sort  of  varnish  that  exhales  a  peculiar  smell,  especially  upon 
burning,  suggesting  creosote,  whence  the  common  name  of  the 
plant.  It  is  a  shrub  from  3  to  10  feet  high,  with  many  gray- 
ish stems  which  are  banded  in  black  and  is  very  common  in  the 
desert  regions  of  Southern  California  and  Arizona  and  south- 
ward into  Mexico,  blooming  off  and  on  throughout  the  year. 
Quite  as  noticeable  as  the  flowers  are  the  little  round  seed  ves- 
sels densely  clothed  with  white  silky  hairs. 

The  Creosote  Bush  has  a  medicinal  reputation  with  the 

Indians  and  Mexicans,  with  whom  it  goes  by  the  Spanish 

names  hedeondilla  and  gobcrnadora.  •   A  tonic  tea  is  made  of  the 

foliage  and  for  saddle  sores  on  animals  a  poultice  of  the  leaves. 

10(5 


SPURGE  FAMILY 

(Euph&rbiacece) 

Herbs  with  milky  juice,  often  poisonous;  flowers  of  different 
sexes  on  the  same  or  different  plants. 

GOLOXDRIXA.  RATTLESXAKE  WEED  (Euphorbia  albomar- 
ginata,  T.  &  G.).  Flowers  inconspicuous,  in  a  cup-shaped 
involucre  having  the  appearance  of  a  calyx,  the  numerous 
male  flowers  consisting  each  of  a  single  stamen,  and  the  soli- 
tary female  of  a  3-celled  ovary  elevated  and  pendent  upon  a 
long  footstalk;  involucre  4  to  5-lobed,  with  alternating  maroon- 
colored  glands,  margined  with  white  or  rosy  appendages  that 
resemble  petals.  Leaves  small  and  roundish,  heart-shaped 
at  base,  with  a  thin  whitish  edge.  A  low  or  prostrate,  many- 
stemmed  little  plant  forming  round  mats  upon  the  dry  ground 
in  the  Southern  California  foothills  and  mountains,  very  com- 
mon, and  blooming  from  April  on  through  the  summer. 

There  are  several  species  of  Euphorbia,  more  or  less  alike 
in  general  appearance,  that  go  under  the  name  of  Rattlesnake 
Weed,  or,  among  Spanish-speaking  folk,  Golondrina.  They 
have  a  considerable  repute  as  antidotes  for  rattlesnake  bites. 
The  leaves  are  pounded  and  bound  wet  on  the  wound. 
107 


CASTOR  OIL  PLANT  (Ricinus  communis,  L.).  Flowers  small 
without  petals,  greenish,  of  two  sexes,  in  showy  terminal  ra- 
cemes, the  female  flowers  above  the  staminate.  Leaves  from 
6  inches  to  a  foot  or  more  broad,  divided  into  6  to  11  finger- 
like  toothed  lobes.  Seed  vessels  ^  inch  or  so  in  diameter, 
usually  spiny,  splitting  when  mature  and  discharging  the 
smooth,  shiny  seeds  which  are  black,  mottled  with  white  or 
brown.  A  stout,  herbaceous  plant,  from  3  to  15  feet  high, 
which,  in  places  where  there  is  little  frost,  becomes  woody  and 
treelike.  The  immature  fruit  is  conspicuously  rosy  red. 

This  is  the  plant  from  whose  seeds  the  famous  medicine 
Castor  Oil  is  produced.  It  is  native  to  Asia  and  Africa,  but 
having  a  pronounced  taste  for  travelling,  it  is  now  found  at 
home  in  most  of  the  warmer  parts  of  the  earth.  It  is  not 
known  surely  how  it  reached  California,  but  perhaps  the  Fran- 
ciscan Missionaries  who  imported  the  seeds  of  so  many  of  the 
Old  World's  useful  plants  introduced  this  one  also,  for  its  medi- 
cinal value.  At  any  rate,  it  is  now  well  established  as  a  wild 
plant  in  many  parts  of  the  state,  and  makes  indeed  an  orna- 
mental sight.  Mexicans  call  it  "  higuerilla,"  little  fig  tree,  prob- 
ably from  the  form  of  the  leaf.  From  the  latter  also  is  derived 
a  common  Old  World  name,  Palma  Christi,  the  hand  of  Christ. 
108 


SUMAC  FAMILY 

;_  (A  nacardiaceoe) 

Shrubs  or  trees,  with  resinous  or  milky  juice,  and  usually 
alternate  leaves.  Flowers  small  and  mainly  regular. 

LEMONADE  BERRY  (Rhus  integrifolia,  B.  &  H.).  Flowers 
small,  pink  or  white,  in  dense  terminal  clusters  1  to  2  inches 
long,  sterile  and  fertile  flowers  often  mixed  together.  Leaves 
evergreen,  thick,  leathery,  generally  entire,  an  inch  or  two 
long.  A  stout  shrub  3  to  6  feet  high,  blooming  from  February 
to  May,  on  seashore  bluffs  and  to  some  extent  on  the  foothills 
farther  inland,  from  Santa  Barbara  to  Lower  California. 

The  conspicuous  fruit  of  the  Lemonade  Berry  is  responsible 
for  the  common  name.  It  is  a  flat,  reddish  drupe  or  berry, 
something  less  than  |  inch  across,  very  sticky  and  sour.  It 
is  very  abundant  on  the  bushes  in  summer,  and  if  soaked  for  a 
few  minutes  in  water  communicates  its  acidity  to  the  liquid 
making  a  very  pleasant  drink,  well  known  to  Indians  and 
Mexicans.  The  wood  of  the  plant  is  hard  and  red  within, 
whence  the  name  "Mahogany"  sometimes  given  it. 

A  closely  related  species  is  R.  orata,  Wats.,  whose  range  is 

imore  inland  than  R.  integrifolia.    The  fruit  is  rather  smaller. 
109 


SUMAC.  MANGLA  (Rhus  laurina,  Nutt.).  Flowers  very 
small,  white,  in  showy  terminal  panicles;  leaves  thin  but  leath- 
ery, entire,  3  to  4  inches  long  on  rather  long  petioles.  Seed 
vessels  very  small,  white  and  wax-coated.  An  erect,  ever- 
green shrub,  6  to  15  feet  high,  with  a  fragrance  of  bitter  al- 
monds; blooming  from  June  to  August  and  very  common  in 
the  valleys,  foothills,  and  chaparral  belt  of  Southern  California. 

It  is  always  a  surprise  to  the  Easterner  to  be  told  that 
this  handsome,  rather  stately  shrub  with  its  simple  laurel- 
like  leaves  is  a  sumac,  for  the  sumacs  of  the  Atlantic  slope  are 
quite  different  looking  because  of  their  pinnate  foliage.  Yet 
the  Pacific  Coast  plant  is  a  true  cousin  of  those. 

The  wood  of  both  Rhus  laurina  and  R.  integrifolia,  is  hard 
and  red-hearted,  and  the  larger  specimens  are  often  cut  up 
into  posts  for  stringing  wire  fences  upon.  Spanish-speaking 
Californians  call  both  species  Mangla,  perhaps  because  of  the 
sticky  resinous  juice — the  Spanish  word  strictly  meaning  the 
gum  that  exudes  from  the  European  Rockrose. 


110 


SQUAW  BUSH  (Rhus  trilobata,  Nutt.).  Flowers  greenish 
yellow  in  short,  spike-like  clusters,  appearing  from  February 
until  April  before  the  leaves.  Leaves  compound  with  3  leaf- 
lets toothed  or  divided,  and  narrowed  to  the  base.  A  low 
shrub,  2  to  5  feet  high,  whose  foliage  and  numerous,  long, 
spreading  branches  are  quite  aromatic;  common  in  the  foothills 
and  open,  sunny  spots  throughout  California,  and  eastward 
to  Dakota  and  Texas. 

The  appearance  of  Rhus  trilobata  remotely  suggests  its  ven- 
omous cousin  the  Poison  Oak,  but  it  has  none  of  the  bad  quali- 
ties of  the  latter — indeed  is  a  very  much,  esteemed  and  useful 
plant  among  the  Indians,  as  its  name  Squaw  Bush  implies. 
The  Indian  women  of  Southern  California  have  long  made  use 
of  the  split  stems  for  wrapping  the  coils  of  their  basket  ma- 
terial. The  fruit  also — red,  sticky  berries — have  the  same  acid 
quality  as  those  of  Rhus  integrifolia,  and  make  a  refreshing 
drink  when  steeped  in  water.  It  was  also  customary  in  old 
times  to  dry  these  berries,  and  grind  them  for  use  as  food.  Mr. 
Chesnut  records  that  a  lotion  prepared  of  the  dry,  powdered 
berries  was  once  used  by  the  Indians  of  Northern  California  as 
a  smallpox  remedy. 


Ill 


MAPLE  FAMILY 

(Sapindacece) 

Trees  and  shrubs  with  deciduous  leaves,  compound  or  sim- 
ple, without  stipules.  Some  botanists  separate  this  family 
into  3  distinct  ones,  of  which  the  Maple,  the  Buckeye,  and  the 
Soapberry  are  respective  types. 

CALIFORNIA  BUCKEYE  (Aesculus  calif ornica,  Nutt.).  Flow- 
ers showy,  irregular,  white,  yellowish  or  rosy  in  dense  panicles, 
6  inches  to  a  foot  long.  Leaves  long-petioled,  opposite,  pal- 
mate with  5  or  more  leaflets.  A  shrub  or  more  commonly  a 
low,  spreading  tree,  from  10  to  20  feet  high,  occasionally  higher. 
Blooming  in  May  or  June. 

The  California  Buckeye  is  a  common  sight  along  stream 
borders  and  canon  sides  of  the  foothills  and  lower  slopes  of  the 
Coast  Ranges  as  well  as  the  Sierra  foothills,  from  the  northern 
edge  of  Los  Angeles  County  to  the  upper  Sacramento  Valley. 
It  is  most  apt  to  attract  attention  under  two  very  different 
aspects — in  the  spring  when  it  is  in  the  glory  of  its  bloom,  and 
in  the  autumn  when  its  bare  branches  are  hung  with  the  odd 
pear-like  seed  vessels.  The  fresh  seeds  are  poisonous,  but 
rendered  edible  by  roasting  and  leaching. 
112 


BUCKTHORN  FAMILY 

(Rhamnacece) 

Shrubs  or  small  trees,  with  simple  leaves  and  small  flowers. 
Petals,  calyx  lobes,  and  stamens  4  or  5  each;  the  stamens  oppo- 
site the  petals. 

CASCAKA  SAGRADA  (Rhamnus  calif  arnica,  Esch.).  Flowers 
small,  greenish  white,  in  umbel-like  clusters.  Leaves  ever- 
green, alternate,  thin-leathery,  elliptic  oblong  entire  or  mi- 
nutely toothed,  1  to  3  inches  long.  A  shrub  or  small  tree  from 
4  to  15  or  20  feet  high,  common  throughout  California,  bloom- 
ing from  February  to  April;  the  flowers  succeeded  in  the  au- 
tumn by  dark  crimson  or  black  berries,  j  to  \  inch  in  diameter. 

Cdscara  sagrdda  is  Spanish  for  "sacred  bark,"  and  was  so 
termed  by  the  Spanish-Californians,  who  value  it  for  its  medi- 
cinal properties.  A  tea  made  of  the  bark  is  both  tonic  and 
mildly  laxative.  Its  value  is  now  widely  known,  and  large 
quantities  of  the  bark  of  the  closely  allied  Rhamnus  Purshi- 
ana,  DC.  (which  is  found  in  Oregon  and  Washington  and  at- 
tains a  height  of  sometimes  30  feet)  are  annually  gathered  for 
the  market.  Both  species  so  thoroughly  run  into  each  other 
that  it  is  a  question  if  one  name  does  not  really  cover  both. 
113 


CALIFORNIA  LILAC  (Ceanothus  thyrsiflorus,  Esch.).  Flowers 
blue  paling  sometimes  to  white,  fragrant,  individually  small 
but  showy  in  dense  panicles;  leaves  evergreen,  shiny,  alternate, 
an  inch  or  so  long,  elliptic,  with  three  nerves  from  the  base. 
A  shrub  or  small  tree  from  2  to  25  feet  high,  the  branches  and 
twigs  noticeably  angled.  Blooming  in  spring  on  chaparral- 
covered  slopes,  or  at  the  sea-edge  (where  it  is  a  low  shrub), 
or  among  the  redwoods,  from  the  Santa  Cruz  Mountains  north- 
ward to  Oregon. 

There  are  a  score  or  so  of  species  of  Ceanothus  indigenous  to 
the  Pacific  Coast,  to  many  of  which,  besides  this  one,  the  name 
California  Lilac  is  applied.  The  little  flowers  are  very  inter- 
esting if  noted  closely  under  a  magnifying  glass,  because  of  the 
odd-shaped  petals,  each  with  a  long  claw  terminating  in  an 
incurving  of  the  blade  resembling  a  hood — or  the  whole  ar- 
rangement suggesting  a  tiny  tobacco  pipe,  to  quote  Doctor 
Sudworth.  The  different  species  are  often  diffcult  to  identify, 
and  the  botanists'  troubles  in  this  respect  are  increased  by  the 
fact  that  hybridization  is  believed  to  take  place  between  some 
species,  making  confusion  worse  confounded. 


DEER-BRUSH  (Ceanothus  integerrimus,  H  &  A.).  Flowers 
white  or  sometimes  blue,  individually  small,  but  very  showy  in 
feathery  clusters  sometimes  6  or  7  inches  high,  and  3  or  4 
inches  through.  Leaves  alternate,  thin,  ovate  or  oblong,  1 
to  3  inches  in  length.  Blooming  in  spring  or  early  summer  in 
the  mountains  from  Southern  California  to  Oregon.  It  covers 
considerable  areas  in  the  Yosemite  region,  where  it  is  a  notice- 
able sight.  It  is  a  shrub  from  5  to  12  feet  high  with  long  flexible 
branches,  and  bark  that  tastes  somewhat  like  wintergreen. 

Deer  and  cattle  find  Deer-brush  a  palatable  browse,  so  that 
this  common  name  is  of  obvious  origin.  Soap-bush,  too,  is  a 
name  sometimes  met  with,  which  is  descriptive  of  a  very  inter- 
esting property  not  only  of  this  Ceanothus,  but  of  all  of  the 
species  I  have  tested.  The  flowers  or  green  seed-vessels,  if 
rubbed  up  for  a  moment  or  two  in  water,  develop  a  more  or 
less  abundant  lather  which  is  cleansing  like  soap — a  fact  that 
campers  and  mountain  ramblers  will  do  well  to  bear  in  mind. 
The  various  species  also  go  under  the  name  of  Myrtle,  and  are 
Far  West  cousins  of  that  little  bush  New  Jersey  Tea,  familiar 
to  Easterners,  whose  leaves  were  used  for  a  homely  beverage 
during  the  Revolutionary  War. 


MALLOW  FAMILY 

(Malvacece) 

Herbs  or  shrubs  with  frequently  showy  flowers,  and  5  petals, 
the  numerous  stamens  combined  by  their  filaments  into  a 
column  around  the  pistil,  and  united  to  the  bases  of  the  petals. 

MALVA  ROSA  (Lavatera  assurgentiflora,  Kellogg).  Flowers 
pink  with  darker  longitudinal  veins,  some  2  inches  across, 
borne  on  long  axillary  drooping  footstalks.  Leaves  evergreen, 
maple-like,  5  to  7  lobed,  3  to  9  inches  in  diameter.  A  shrub, 
4  to  15  feet  high,  leaves  and  twigs  abounding  in  mucilage,  wild 
on  the  Channel  Islands  of  Southern  California,  and  occasion- 
ally found  as  an  escape  from  cultivation  on  the  mainland. 
Blooming  in  spring  and  summer.  In  the  environs  of  San  Fran- 
cisco it  is  a  frequent  hedge  or  windbreak  around  market-gardens. 

It  is  a  question  how  the  Malva  Rosa  has  become  established 
in  California.  Possibly  it  is  indigenous  to  the  California  isl- 
ands, but  there  is  a  tradition  that  seeds  were  brought  to  Cali- 
fornia from  Europe  by  the  Franciscan  Missionaries.  The  Span- 
ish name  by  which  it  commonly  goes,  means  "red  mallow." 
The  long  name  commemorates  the  brothers  Lavater,  Swiss 
naturalists  of  a  couple  of  centuries  ago. 


WILD  HOLLYHOCK  (Siddlcea  humilis,  Gray).  Flowers  pink 
or  rose-purple,  rather  showy,  in  terminal  racemes  or  spikes; 
the  column  of  stamens  usually  in  two  series,  the  outer  of  5 
distinct  clusters  of  stamens,  the  inner  or  terminal  one  of  about 
10  sets.  Calyx  without  bractlets  at  base.  Basal  leaves 
round  with  rounded  teeth  or  shallow  lobes,  the  stem  leaves 
deeply  cut  into  about  7  fingers,  with  3-lobed  divisions.  A 
rather  hairy  perennial  with  numerous  stems  8  inches  to  2  feet 
long,  from  a  woody  stock  or  root;  blooming  from  February 
until  May,  and  common  on  grassy  hills  and  mesas  of  the  Cali- 
fornia Coast  region  from  San  Diego  north. 

Mingled  with  plants  as  described  above,  one  will  also  find 
some  upon  which  the  deep-colored  flowers  are  smaller  and  with 
stamens  which  are  without  developed  anthers.  The  children's 
name  of  Wild  Hollyhock  for  the  flower  is  fairly  descriptive, 
and  not  far  astray,  since  hollyhocks,  while  of  a  different  genus, 
are  still  of  the  same  family.  The  genus  Sidalcea  is  confined 
to  our  West,  and  there  are  about  a  dozen  species  on  the  Pacific 
Coast,  but  none  so  common  as  S.  humilis.  They  are  of  diffi- 
cult determination. 


117 


DESERT  MALLOW  (Sphcerdlcea  ambigua,  Gray).  Flowers 
brick  red,  showy,  about  an  inch  across  in  wand-like,  open 
panicles,  topping  whitish,  scurfy  stems  a  foot  or  two  high 
growing  in  clumps.  Leaves  grayish  green,  palmate,  promi- 
nently veined.  Common  throughout  the  desert  regions  of  Cali- 
fornia on  open  hills  and  mesas  and  eastward  to  Arizona,  Ne- 
vada and  Utah. 

For  the  proper  identification  of  the  different  genera  of  the 
Mallow  Family  the  seed  vessels  are  often  needful;  and  this  is 
particularly  the  case  with  Sphaeralcea,  whose  resemblance  to 
Malvastrum  is  very  great — the  main  distinction  being  in  the 
fact  that  the  cells  of  the  ovary  in  Sphseralcea  contain  two 
ovules  each,  while  in  those  of  Malvastrum  the  ovule  is  solitary. 
After  the  identification  of  a  plant  as  a  Sphseralcea,  however, 
the  student's  difficulties  are  only  begun;  for  the  characters  that 
mark  the  various  described  species,  run  together  in  a  way 
that  makes  differentiation  exceedingly  hard.  The  plant  here 
pictured  has  sometimes  been  called  S.  Emoryi,  Torr.,  and 
again  S.  Munroana,  Dougl.;  but  Mr.  S.  B.  Parish  of  San  Ber- 
nardino, whose  knowledge  of  the  Southern  California  flora  is 
most  thorough,  tells  me  he  has  the  authority  of  Dr.  Asa  Gray 
himself  for  calling  it  S.  ambigua. 
118 


FIVE  SPOT.  SPOTTED  MALLOW  (Malvastrum  rotundifolium, 
Gray).  Flowers  showy,  an  inch  or  so  across  when  expanded, 
lavender  with  a  prominent  reddish-orange  spot  at  the  base  of 
each  petal;  borne  in  loose  clusters  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves. 
Stigmas  spherical.  Leaves  kidney-shaped,  with  shallow, 
toothed  lobes  and  long  petioles.  An  annual  plant  with  red- 
dish stems,  rather  hairy,  from  6  inches  to  2  feet  tall,  growing 
in  desert  sands,  Southern  California  and  eastward  to  Arizona, 
blooming  in  March  or  April. 

Of  the  many  beautiful  flowers  that  enliven  the  floor  of  our 
Southwestern  deserts  for  a  brief  period  in  the  spring  this 
Malvastrum  is  one  of  the  most  alluring  and  almost  sure  to 
attract  the  observant  traveler's  attention.  Children  are  the 
originators  of  many  common  names  for  wild  flowers,  and  this 
of  Five-Spot,  given  to  our  plant  by  some  bright  youngsters  of 
my  acquaintance,  is  happily  descriptive  enough  to  become 
permanent.  The  flowers  are  shy  about  expanding  fully,  and 
the  tendency  of  the  petals  to  curve  inward  at  the  tips  causes  the 
blossom  to  present  the  appearance  of  a  globe. 

The  name  False  Mallow  is  commonly  applied  in  books  to  the 
various  species  of  Malvastrum,  of  which  there  are  8  or  9  indige- 
nous to  the  Pacific  Coast.     The  name  means  Star-mallow. 
119 


FREMONTIA  (Fremontia  calif  arnica,  Torr.).  Flowers  with- 
out petals,  the  calyx  divisions  bright  yellow,  simulating  a 
corolla,  from  1  to  3  inches  in  diameter,  borne  singly  on  short 
footstalks  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves.  Leaves  an  inch  or  two 
across,  rounded  with  a  few  shallow  lobes,  rusty  underneath  and 
somewhat  leathery.  Shrubs  or  trees  from  6  to  25  feet  high, 
the  branches  tough  and  flexible.  Southern  and  Central  Cali- 
fornia on  dry  hillsides,  in  bloom  from  May  to  July,  according 
to  location.  Its  greatest  development  is  on  the  foothills  of  the 
Sierra  Nevada.  As  a  shrub  it  often  forms  dense  thickets. 

Fremontia  is  an  unforgettable  sight  when  in  full  bloom,  the 
glorious  flower  a  bright  golden  yellow.  The  name  was  given 
in  honor  of  General  J.  C.  Fremont,  who  discovered  it,  but 
among  our  mountaineers  it  is  quite  commonly  known  as  Slip- 
pery Elm  because  of  its  mucilaginous  bark,  which  tastes  much 
like  that  of  the  true  slippery  elm,  and  is  similarly  used  for  the 
making  of  poultices.  It  is  also  called  Leatherwood  because 
of  the  toughness  of  the  branches  and  bark. 

Some  botanists  do  not  consider  Fremontia  as  properly 
placed  in  the  Mallow  Family,  and  regard  it  as  a  member  of  the 
nearly  related  Sterculiaceoe — a  tropical  family  that  gives  us 
chocolate. 

120 


VIOLET  FAMILY 

(Violaceae) 

Ours,  low  perennial  herbs,  the  early  flowers  irregular,  one 
petal  produced  at  its  base  into  a  spur.  Later  there  is  often  an- 
other crop  of  flowers  produced  on  runners  or  short  stems  at  the 
base  of  the  plant,  inconspicuous,  without  petals,  but  abound- 
ing in  seeds. 

WILD  PANSY  (Viola  pedunculata,  Torr.  &  G.).  Flowers 
about  an  inch  across,  showy,  golden  yellow,  the  upper  petals 
tinged  with  warm  brown  outside,  the  others  veined  with 
purple,  borne  on  naked  peduncles,  sometimes  2  feet  long,  and 
overtopping  the  leaves,  Plant  3  to  8  inches  tall,  with  leafy 
stems,  the  leaves  coarsely  round-toothed.  Common  through- 
out Middle  and  Southern  California  in  sunny,  grassy  places, 
and  on  mesas  from  the  seaside  to  the  foothills,  blooming  from 
February  until  May  and  often  spreading  over  considerable 
areas.  Few  wild  flowers  have  a  surer  place  in  the  popular 
heart  in  California  than  the  Wild  Pansy.  It  is  sometimes 
called  Yellow  Violet.  Miss  Armstrong  records  a  Spanish- 
Californian  name  Gallito,  which  means  "little  rooster." 

121 


CREEPING  VIOLET  (Viola  sarmentosa,  Dougl.).  Flowers 
light  yellow,  rather  small,  on  slender  stalks;  leaves  round,  an 
inch  across  more  or  less,  with  rounded  teeth,  often  with 
dark  dots  and  rusty  brown  beneath.  A  trim  little  plant, 
prostrate  and  creeping  by  its  slender  stems.  Blooming  in 
spring  and  early  summer  in  the  Coast  Ranges  from  the  Mon- 
terey Bay  region  northward  through  Oregon  and  Washing- 
ton. 

This  charming  little  violet  is  one  of  the  most  captivating 
of  woodland  plants,  and  is  often  met  with  in  the  redwood  for- 
ests, making  dainty  mats  upon  the  ground  and  drooping  grace- 
fully over  bank  edges.  The  specific  name,  sarmentosa,  means 
"having  many  little  branches."  An  Easterner's  first  impres- 
sion of  the  California  wild  violets  is  usually  one  of  surprise 
at  the  number  of  yellow-flowered  species  which  are  met,  as 
compared  with  blue — the  latter  being  the  most  usual  color  on 
the  Atlantic  Coast.  Nevertheless  there  are  a  few  blue- 
flowered  species,  one  of  which,  the  little  Sierran  Dog  Violet 
(Viola  oxyceras,  Greene)  is  sure  to  be  seen  by  visitors  in  the 
Yosemite  region,  as  it  is  quite  common  in  the  Sierra  Nevada. 


122 


TAMARISK  FAMILY 

(Tamariscinece) 

Shrubby  plants  with  small,  undivided,  alternate  leaves 
somewhat  fleshy,  and  rather  closely  related  to  the  Pink  Family. 

OCOTILLO.  CAXDLEWOOD  (Fouquierp,  splendens  Engelm.). 
Flowers  tubular,  bright  crimson,  crowded  in  terminal  spikes 
6  or  8  inches  long;  a  shrub  with  fragile  wood,  the  stems  with- 
out branches,  ashen  gray,  thorny;  and  with  small,  sessile, 
axillary  leaves,  borne  near  the  summit  of  the  stems. 

This  striking  plant,  with  masses  of  whip-like  stems  rising 
like  a  fire-tipped,  thorn-encrusted,  lignified  fountain  to  the 
height  of  sometimes  15  or  20  feet  from  the  desert  sands,  is 
found  abundantly  throughout  the  arid  regions  of  South- 
eastern California,  eastward  to  Texas  and  south  to  Mexico, 
blooming  in  late  winter  and  in  the  spring.  It  is  of  consider- 
able economic  importance  on  the  desert,  the  stems  being  used 
for  fences  and  even  house  walls.  The  stem  is  fragrantly  resin- 
ous and  waxy  and  splints  of  it  may  be  lighted  and  will  burn  like 
candles.  Ocotillb  (pronounced  ocotee'yo),  is  a  diminutive  of  ocote, 
a  Mexican  pine  whose  wood  is  used  for  torches.  Fouquiera 
commemorates  a  French  doctor  of  medicine,  P.  E.  Fouquier. 
123 


LOASA  FAMILY 

(Loasacece) 

Herbaceous  plants,  often  with  rough,  hooked  hairs.  Leaves 
alternate.  Stamens  very  numerous,  inserted  with  the  5  or  10 
petals  upon  the  calyx  throat,  the  outer  tending  to  be  petal- 
like.  The  seed-vessels  crowned  with  the  persistent  calyx  lobes. 

BLAZING  STAR  (Mentzelia  Lindleyi,  T.  and  G).  Flowers 
showy,  opening  toward  evening,  3  inches  or  more  in  diameter, 
golden  yellow,  the  five  petals  silken  of  texture  and  terminating 
in  pointed  tips,  the  many  stamens  making  a  conspicuous 
tufted  centre  to  the  flower.  Leaves  ovate  or  lanceolate,  wavy- 
toothed.  An  annual  plant  2  to  3  feet  high  with  glistening 
yellow  stems,  blooming  in  summer  in  the  mountains  of  Cen- 
tral California. 

There  are  half  a  dozen  or  more  species  of  Mentzelia  indi- 
genous to  the  Pacific  Coast,  but  the  genus  is  fairly  well  marked 
by  its  characteristic  shining  stems,  conspicuous  clustered  stam- 
ens, and  the  top-shaped  calyx  with  its  five  noticeable  lobes. 
The  barbed  hairs  that  clothe  the  plants  cause  them  to  cling  to 
one's  dothing,  on  which  account,  Spanish  speaking  people  have 
humorously  given  it  the  name  Buena  Mujer,  good  woman. 
124 


CACTUS  FAMILY 

(Cactaceoe) 

Peculiar,  often  grotesque,  fleshy  perennials,  more  or  less 
armed  with  bristles  and  spines,  and  rarely  endowed  with 
leaves;  easily  recognized  as  a  family,  but  individually  often 
very  difficult  to  place  in  their  proper  species.  There  are 
about  20  genera  and  1,000  species,  nearly  all  natives  of  Amer- 
ica, especially  Mexico,  but  many  species  are  now  naturalized 
in  the  Old  World,  also.  On  the  Pacific  Coast  they  are  con- 
fined to  the  regions  adjacent  to  Mexico. 

CHOLLA  (pronounced  cho'ya).  (Opuntia  Bemardina,  En- 
gelm.).  A  much  branched  plant  with  slender,  cylindrical, 
jointed  stems,  2  to  6  feet  high,  the  stout  yellow  spines  barbed 
at  the  tip  and  enclosed  their  whole  length  in  a  papery  sheath 
that  slips  off  readily.  Flowers  greenish-yellow  with  a  tinge  of 
red,  an  inch  broad  or  a  little  more;  blooming  in  late  spring 
and  early  summer  on  arid  plains  in  Southern  California. 

There    are    numerous    species    of    the    cylindrical-jointed 
Opuntias  in  the  Southwest,  and  in  a  general  way  the  Mexican 
name  Cholla  is  applied  to  all,  in  contradistinction  to  the  flat- 
jointed  species  which  are  called  Tuna-cactus  or  Nopal. 
125 


NOPAL.  PRICKLY  PEAR  (Opuntia  Lindheimeri,  Engelm.). 
Flanis  with  broad,  flat  joints  and  usually  forming  thickets, 
from  3  to  10  feet  high,  joints  from  6  inches  to  a  foot  long, 
spiny  and  bristly.  Flowers  sessile,  yellow  or  reddish,  about 
three  inches  in  diameter.  Llooming  in  spring  or  summer 
in  the  dry  valleys  and  on  the  foothills  and  mesas  even  along 
the  sea,  throughout  Southern  California.  The  dark  red  fruits 
— "prickly  pears" — are  edible,  though  seedy;  but  should  be 
handled  with  great  care  until  the  bristles  are  rubbed  off,  as 
these  fasten  themselves  prcrrptly  in  one's  fingers  and  are  very 
annoying. 

This  Opuntia  is  somewhat  variable  and  botanists  dis- 
tinguish two  varieties,  littoralis  of  the  seacoast,  and  occidentalis, 
found  farther  inland.  The  fruits  are  called  tunas  by  the  Mexi- 
cans and  Indians,  who  use  them  to  some  extent  for  food;  the 
plant  itself  is  nopal. 

About  old  dwellings  and  particularly  the  Franciscan  Mis- 
sions, two  larger-fruited  species  are  found,  brought  up  from 
Mexico  a  century  or  more  ago  and  planted  for  hedges  and  for 
the  superior  fruit.  One  of  these  0.  Ficus-Indica,  bears  "pears" 
of  a  pale  straw  color;  the  other  0.  Tuna,  has  a  fruit  that  is  red. 


126 


BISXAGA.  BARBEL  CACTUS  (Echinocactus  cylindraceus, 
Engelm.).  Stout,  cylindrical,  leafless  plants  a  foot  or  more  in 
diameter  and  from  1  to  6  feet  or  even  more  in  height,  prom- 
inently ribbed  and  bearing  on  the  ribs  bundles  of  hooked  spines 
that  are  transversely  barred.  Flowers  greenish-yellow,  an 
in  oh  or  so  in  diameter,  forming  a  circlet  at  the  top  of  the  plant; 
blooming  in  the  spring  on  the  desert  and  arid  hillsides  of 
Southeastern  California  and  eastward. 

Bisnaga  is  the  common  Mexican  name  for  Echinocactus,  of 
which  there  are  several  species  in  the  Southwest.  The  firm, 
juicy  heart  of  the  big  cylinders  has  the  quality  of  an  unripe 
water-melon  and  is  to  some  extent  used  in  the  making  of  the 
so-called  cactus  candy  for  sale  by  confectioners.  It  is  as  the 
water  barrels  of  the  desert,  however,  that  the  Bisnagas  are 
best  known.  If  the  top  is  cut  off  and  the  pulp  of  the  interior 
pounded  up,  it  yields  a  considerable  quantity  of  drinkable 
water,  capable  of  assuaging  thirst. 

The  spines  are  quite  beautiful  and  those  of  one  species  have 
been  used  by  Indians  for  fishhooks,  and  of  another  by  white 
men  for  gramophone  needles. 


127 


STRAWBERRY  CACTUS  (Mamillaria  Goodridgii,  Scheer.). 
The  Mamillarias  are  little  round  plants  a  few  inches  high, 
covered  with  small  nipple-like  tubercles,  each  crowned  with  a 
tuft  of  spreading  spines.  In  Mamillaria  Goodridgii  and  some 
other  species  the  central  spine  is  elongated  and  bears  a  hook  at 
the  tip.  The  flowers  arise  between  the  tubercles  and  are 
small  and  inconspicuous,  white  or  pinkish  in  M.  Goodridgii, 
and  appear  in  the  spring.  The  fruit  which  follows  is  quite 
showy,  a  scarlet,  club-shaped  berry,  and  is  edible,  giving  the 
plant  the  common  name  Strawberry  Cactus.  The  hooked 
spines  are  responsible  for  another  popular  name — Fishhook 
Cactus;  and  the  tubercles  that  dot  the  plant  have  gained  it  yet 
another — ISipple  Cactus,  which  is  really  only  an  English  ver- 
sion of  the  Latin  Mamillaria. 

Ihe  Strawberry  Cactus  is  found  on  the  dry  hills  of  San 
Diego  County,  California,  and  southward  in  Lower  California, 
as  well  as  on  the  neighboring  islands.  It  affects  gravelly  or 
sandy  soil,  often  among  rocks,  and  the  flowers  are  fully  open 
only  in  sunlight  and  for  a  short  time.  The  whitish  spines  are 
quite  ornamental  in  their  arrangement,  radiating  in  a  flat  plane 
about  the  fsh-hook. 


128 


HEDGEHOG  CACTUS  (Cereus  Engelmanni,  Parry).  The 
genus  Cereus  in  our  country  is  distinguished  by  oval,  cylin- 
dric  or  columnar  stems,  with  vertical  ribs  and  bunches  of 
spines  borne  on  the  ribs.  The  flowers  are  produced  on  the 
older  parts  of  the  plants  just  above  the  spine  bunches.  Cereus 
Engelmanni  is  about  a  foot  high,  and  when  in  bloom,  makes 
one  of  the  striking  floral  features  of  the  Colorado  desert  region 
of  Southeastern  California.  The  large  magenta  flowers,  2|  to 
3  inches  across,  glow  like  crimson  suns  on  the  stems  of  the 
plant  from  April  to  June,  but  only  when  the  sun  is  shining. 
The  green  stigmas  are  a  noticeable  feature. 

Cereus  Engelmanni  is  a  humble  cousin  of  the  huge  Cereus 
giganteus,  the  floral  emblem  of  Arizona,  and  instead  of  putting 
its  energy  into  a  single  column  of  growth  as  the  latter  does,  it 
prefers  to  distribute  it  and  make  a  number  of  short  cylindric 
heads  from  one  base.  It  is  abundant  on  the  lower  slopes  of  the 
mountains 'facing  the  Colorado  desert  of  California  and  ex- 
tends eastward  to  Arizona  and  Utah. 


129 


EVENING  PRIMROSE  FAMILY 

(Onagraceoi) 

Herbaceous  plants,  the  flowers  with  4  petals,  and  usually  8 
stamens,  the  stigma  4-lobed  or  capitate,  and  the  long  calyx 
tube  adherent  to  the  ovary. 

WILD  FrCHSiA  (Zauschneria  calif ornica,  Presl.).  Flowers 
1  to  H  inches  long,  scarlet  both  calyx  and  corolla,  funnel-form 
with  exserted  stamens  and  style,  disposed  in  loose  racemes 
at  the  top  of  leafy,  woody  stems,  1  to  3  feet  long,  much 
branched.  Leaves  grayish-green.  Blooming  in  the  late  sum- 
mer and  throughout  the  autumn,  in  Central  and  Southern 
California  and  eastward  to  Wyoming  and  New  Mexico,  in  dry 
or  rocky  soil,  often  painting  considerable  areas  with  vivid  color. 
It  is  common  in  the  Yosemite  region  from  the  foothills  to 
about  6,500  feet  altitude  (according  to  Dr.  Hall),  but  on 
account  of  its  late  flowering,  many  visitors  there  never  see 
it.  In  Southern  California  at  low  altitudes  it  may  be  found  in 
bloom  until  the  year's  end. 

The  botanical  name  of  the  Wild  Fuchsia  commemorates  a 
German  botanist,  Zauschner — an  honor  that  costs  our  Amer- 
ican tongues  dearly. 

130 


(Godetia  vimtnea,  Spach.).  Flowers 
2  inches  or  so  across,  crimson  or  purplish,  often  with  a  darker 
blotch  at  the  bases  (which  are  sometimes  yellowish)  of  the 
petals,  the  funnel-form  calyx  tube  produced  above  the  ovary, 
the  lobes  more  or  less  cohering  and  turned  to  one  side;  dis- 
posed in  leafy  racemes,  on  stems  from  a  few  inches  to  3  feet 
high.  Leaves  alternate,  narrow  and  entire,  \  inch  to  2 
inches  long.  Blooming  in  spring  and  early  summer  on  hill- 
sides and  in  dry  meadows  of  Central  and  Northern  Califor- 
nia northward  through  Oregon. 

There  are  more  than  a  dozen  species  of  Godetia  (a  name 
by  the  way  given  in  honor  of  the  Swiss  botanist  Godet),  rather 
difficult  of  determination  by  the  amateur,  though  the  genus 
is  well  enough  marked.  The  common  name  Farewell-to-Spring 
is  appropriate  to  all,  although  in  Southern  California  spring 
is  by  no  means  departing  when  they  begin  to  appear.  From 
Monterey  to  the  Mexican  border,  on  grassy  hillsides,  we  may 
find  the  lovely  species  Godetia  Bottae,  Spach.,  a  slender  plant, 
2  to  3  feet  high,  with  pinkish  or  lilac  cups  of  bloom  dotted  in 
purple,  and  a  purplish  or  whitish  centre. 


131 


CLARKIA  (Clarkia  elegans,  Dougl.).  Flowers  reddish 
purple  or  pink,  an  inch  or  more  in  diameter,  the  petals  rhom- 
boidal  in  outline  narrowed  abruptly  to  long,  slender  claws; 
nodding  in  the  bud  in  racemes  at  the  summit  of  simple  or 
branched  annual  stems  from  a  few  inches  to  several  feet  in 
height — even  6  feet  in  damp  ground.  Leaves  an  inch  long  or 
so,  alternate,  ovate  to  linear,  and  usually  toothed. 

Clarkia  is  one  of  the  commonest  of  California  wayside  flow- 
ers in  spring  and  early  summer,  and  is  distributed  on  hillsides 
and  valleys  from  Mendocino  County  to  Los  Angeles,  and  on 
the  lower  altitudes  of  the  Sierra  Nevada.  It  is  a  plant  of  a 
blushing  disposition — not  only  petals  and  sepals  being  pro- 
nouncedly reddish,  but  stamens,  seed-vessels,  and  even  the 
foliage  all  showing  the  same  fiery  tendency;  and  when  occur- 
ring in  masses,  as  is  often  the  case,  it  is  very  showy. 

In  the  Yosemite  region,  as  well  as  northward  and  southward 
along  the  mountains,  and  eastward  to  Nevada  and  Utah,  the 
species  C.  rhmnboidea,  Dougl.,  is  frequently  fou;.d.  It  is  a 
smaller  plant,  and  the  flowers  are  distinguished  by  petals 
with  claws  that  are  broad  and  toothed. 


132 


CLARKIA  (Clarkia  concinna  [F.  &  M.]  Greene).  Flowers 
rose-pink,  petals  nearly  or  quite  an  inch  long  with  3  terminal 
lobes;  stamens  only  4.  Calyx  tubes  very  slender.  Stems 
annual  from  a  few  inches  to  2  feet  high.  Blooming  in  summer 
in  the  Coast  Ranges  of  California,  often  under  the  shade  of 
trees,  and  very  showy.  The  plant  was  originally  described 
as  Eucharidium  concinnum,  the  filiform  calyx  tube  and  the  4 
stamens  being  thought  to  entitle  it  to  generic  distinction; 
but  most  botanists  assign  it  to  Clarkia. 

The  name  Clarkia  commemorates  that  gallant  old  Virginian, 
Captain  William  Clark  of  the  famous  Lewis  and  Clark  com- 
bination of  1804-6 — the  first  expedition  to  cross  the  American 
Continent.  Lewis  was  a  member  of  the  American  Philosophi- 
cal Society  of  Philadelphia,  and  on  the  trip  gathered  plants 
enthusiastically.  Among  these  were  specimens  of  a  beauti- 
ful flower  collected  in  Idaho  or  Montana,  upon  which  the 
genus  Clarkia  was  established.  That  was  Clarkia  pulcheUa, 
Pursh.,  not  found  in  California,  but  abundant  in  Oregon  and 
Washington  and  eastward  to  the  Rockies.  It,  like  C.  con- 
cinna, has  3-lobed  petals,  but  besides  4  perfect  stamens  has  4 
rudimentary  ones. 


133 


DESERT  EVENING  PRIMROSE  (Oenothera  trichocalyx,  Nutt.). 
Flowers  showy,  white  with  a  yellow  glow  at  the  heart,  turning 
gradually  to  pink,  2  or  3  inches  in  diameter,  nodding  in  the 
bud,  the  calyx  very  hairy;  borne  on  long  axillary  peduncles. 
Leaves  gray-green,  narrow,  2  or  3  inches  long,  wavy-toothed 
or  somewhat  lobed.  The  plant  is  an  annual  with  white,  stout- 
ish  stems. 

This  Evening  Primrose  is  one  of  the  most  charming  of  desert 
wild  flowers,  and  may  be  found  in  bloom  in  the  spring  on  both 
the  Mojave  and  Colorado  deserts  of  California,  and  thence 
eastward  to  Wyoming,  Arizona,  and  New  Mexico.  The  plant 
is  of  low  habit  barely  exceeding  6  inches  in  height.  The  ex- 
quisite white  blossoms,  which  are  faintly  fragrant,  expand  in 
the  afternoon  to  remain  open  until  next  morning  when  they 
droop  and  wither. 

The  genus  Oenothera,  as  originally  understood,  was  a  very 
large  one  of  species  mostly  indigenous  to  North  America.  It 
has  been  one  of  the  battlegrounds,  however,  of  botanical 
nomenclaturists  who  have  sought  to  dismember  it  into  a  dozen 
different  parts.  Advocates  of  latter  day  nomenclature  de- 
scribe our  Desert  Evening  Primrose  under  the  name  Anogra 
trichocalyx  (Nutt.),  Small. 

134 


SUN-CUPS  (Oenothera  bistorta,  Nutt:).  Flowers  bright  yel- 
low, nearly  an  inch  in  diameter,  often  with  a  brownish  spot  at 
the  base  of  the  petals,  axillary  on  leafy  stems  which  are  usually 
2  or  3  inches  high,  or  almost  flat  to  the  ground,  though  in  some 
situations  they  attain  a  height  of  a  foot  or  more.  The  pistil 
is  capped  with  a  tiny  round-ball  of  a  stigma.  Leaves  about  3 
inches  long,  somewhat  toothed.  A  common  plant  in  Southern 
California,  blooming  in  sunshine  from  February  to  June,  on 
open  plains  and  in  gravelly  or  sandy  washes,  often  brightening 
acres  with  its  sunny  color. 

The  specific  name  of  this  Oenothera  means  "twice-twisted," 
and  was  given  because  of  the  squirming  seed  vessels,  which  are 
quite  odd — a  characteristic,  however,  which  is  shared  with 
some  other  species.  In  Central  California  near  the  Coast  the 
name  Sun-cups  is  applied  to  Oenothera  ovata,  Nutt.,  a  low 
plant  with  wavy-margined  leaves  in  the  form  of  a  rosette.  The 
bright  yellow  flowers,  quite  similar  to  those  of  CE.  bistorta,  are 
remarkable  from  the  fact  that  what  appear  to  be  their  long 
peduncles  are  really  the  slender  calyx  tubes  leading  down  to 
the  underground  seed  vessels. 


135 


BEACH  PRIMROSE  (Oenothera  cheirdnthifolia,  Horn.).  Flow- 
ers showy  yellow,  frequently  turning  greenish  when  withering, 
axillary  upon  the  trailing,  white,  downy  stems  which  are  2  feet 
or  so  long,  and  very  leafy.  Leaves  thickish,  oblong,  the  upper 
clasping,  and  all  of  them  gray  with  a  minute  downiness,  that 
gives  the  entire  plant  a  silvery  look. 

The  Beach  Primrose,  like  most  of  its  charming  family,  is  a 
lover  of  the  open  sunny  places,  and  is  a  very  common  plant  on 
the  sea  beaches  of  Southern  California,  and  as  far  north  as 
Monterey,  forming  conspicuous  mats  upon  the  sands,  wrhether 
in  flower  or  not.  The  specific  name  means  "with  leaves  like 
Cheiranthus"  the  wall  flower. 

The  meaning  of  the  name  Oenothera  is  a  puzzle,  and  has  been 
variously  defined.  It  is  certainly  of  great  antiquity,  but  just 
what  plant  in  ancient  times  was  meant  by  it  is  open  to  conjec- 
ture. Dr.  Nathaniel  L.  Britton,  Director  of  the  New  York 
Botanical  Garden,  is  convinced  that  the  word  means  "wine- 
scenting,"  because  the  root  of  the  original  Old  World  plant  was 
probably  used  for  perfuming  wine.  This  appears  to  be  the 
most  reasonable  explanation  so  far  offered. 


136 


PARSLEY  FAMILY 

(U-mbeUiferce) 

Herbs  with  usually  hollow  grooved  stems  and  alternate 
decompound  leaves,  the  petioles  often  dilated  at  the  base. 
Flowers  small,  generally  in  compound  or  single  umbels.  The 
mature  seed  vessels  are  necessary  for  the  identification  of  most 
of  the  genera  and  species. 

EULOPHUS  (Eulophus  Boldnderi,  C.  &  R.).  Flowers  white, 
in  long-stalked  compound  umbels.  Leaves  3  to  6  inches  long, 
the  numerous  divisions  very  narrow  and  thread-like.  Stems 
a  foot  or  two  high.  Blooming  in  summer  in  damp  meadows  of 
the  higher  mountains. 

Eulophus  Bolanderi  is  very  abundant  in  the  Yosemite  region 
and  the  Sierra  meadows,  which  are  often  white  in  summer  with 
the  lovely  flat-topped  flower  clusters.  The  specific  name  was 
given  in  honor  of  Henry  X.  Bolander,  an  industrious  collector 
of  California  plants  between  1863  and  1875,  during  a  part  of 
which  time  he  was  connected  with  the  State  Geological  Survey. 

There  is  a  closely  related  species,  E.  Parishii,  C.  &.  R.,  dis- 
tinguished by  leaves  with  only  3  or  4  divisions,  which  are 
much  coarser  than  those  of  E.  Bolanderi. 
137 


FENNEL  (Fceniculum  wdgdre,  Gsert.).  Flowers  yellow  in 
compound  umbels,  leaves  decompound  and  finely  dissected 
into  thread-like  segments.  Stout,  smooth  herbs,  3  to  6  feet 
high,  with  a  fragrance  when  crushed  of  licorice.  Common 
along  roadsides,  in  waste  places  and  near  cultivated  grounds, 
blooming  in  spring  and  summer. 

Fennel  is  an  Old  World  plant  and  perhaps  owes  its  presence 
on  the  Pacific  Coast  to  the  Franciscan  Missionaries;  for  the 
seeds  have  been  used  from  time  immemorial  in  domestic  medi- 
cine as  a  carminative,  and  would  naturally  have  formed  a  part 
of  the  Padres'  importations.  Spanish-Californians  call  the 
plant  Anis  Hinojo  (ah-nees'  ee-no'-ho),  wrhich  means  "anise 
fennel,"  and  may  have  given  rise  to  the  name  by  which  Amer- 
icans on  the  Coast  frequently  call  the  plant — Sweet  Anise. 
In  some  parts  of  California  the  children,  who  enjoy  the  pleas- 
ant taste  of  the  leaves  and  stalks,  long  ago  dubbed  it  Ladies' 
Chewing  Tobacco. 

Famous  in  the  folk-lore  of  the  Old  World,  fennel  links  us 
with  the  classic  past,  when  victors  in  the  public  games  were 
crowned  with  it,  and  gladiators  had  it  mixed  with  their  food  to 
make  them  strong. 


138 


DOGWOOD  FAMILY 

(Cornacece) 

Usually  trees  and  shrubs  with  simple  opposite  leaves  with- 
out stipules.  Floral  parts  in  4's,  petals  sometimes  wanting. 
Calyx  adhering  to  the  seed  vessels. 

QUINIXE  BUSH  (Gdrrya  elliptica,  Dougl.).  Flowers  grayish- 
green  without  petals,  and  of  two  sexes  on  separate  plants,  dis- 
posed in  axillary,  drooping  catkins  either  solitary  or  clustered. 
Leaves  evergreen,  leathery,  wavy-margined,  white-woolly 
beneath.  A  shrub  5  to  8  feet  high  (or  rarely  a  small  tree  in 
Oregon)  blooming  as  early  as  February,  in  the  hills  from  Cen- 
tral California  to  Washington. 

The  pendent  catkins  of  the  Quinine  Bush  are  very  noticeable 
— particularly  the  male  catkins,  which  are  from  2  to  6  inches 
long.  Each  flower  is  enclosed  in  a  funnel-shaped  bract,  and  the 
whole  catkin  resembles  a  swinging  string  of  tiny  bells.  The 
pistillate  catkins  become  at  maturity  clusters  of  acid,  bitterish 
berries.  The  bark  and  leaves  of  Garrya  possess  a  bitter  prin- 
ciple, and  their  use  in  fevers  has  suggested  the  common  name 
Quinine  Bush.  Garry,  whom  the  botanical  name  commemo- 
rates, was  a  patron  of  David  Douglas,  the  famous  collector. 
139 


NUTTALL'S  DOGWOOD  (Cornus  Nuttdllii,  And.).  Flowers 
small  and  greenish  in  a  button-like  cluster  surrounded  by  a 
circle  of  4  to  6  showy  white  or  pinkish  bracts  that  resemble 
petals.  Leaves  opposite,  acute  at  each  end,  strongly  veined, 
short  petioled,  turning  brilliantly  red  and  orange  in  the  au- 
tumn. A  tree  ordinarily  20  to  30  feet  high,  but  sometimes 
twice  that;  blooming  in  May  or  June,  in  the  mountains  gener- 
ally near  streams,  both  in  the  Coast  Ranges  and  the  Sierras 
from  Southern  California  to  British  Columbia.  Occasion- 
ally flowers  are  found  upon  the  trees  in  autumn. 

Nuttall's  Dogwood  is  readily  recognized  by  any  one  famil- 
iar with  the  Flowering  Dogwood  of  the  East,  which  it  resem- 
bles, but  its  blossoms  are  larger.  The  name  preserves  the 
memory  of  Thomas  Nuttall,  the  famous  naturalist  who  visited 
the  Pacific  Coast  some  80  years  ago  and  made  important  col- 
lections. Readers  of  Dana's  "Two  Years  Before  the  Mast," 
will  remember  the  humorous  description  of  him  at  San  Diego, 
where  the  sailors  nicknamed  him  "Old  Curious." 


140 


HEATH  FAMILY 

(Ericaceae) 

Trees,  shrubs,  and  perennial  herbs.  Leaves  of  ours  mostly 
evergreen  and  rigid,  or  occasionally  reduced  to  scales.  Anth- 
ers mostly  opening  by  little  holes  at  the  top. 

CALIFORNIA  HUCKLEBERRY  (Vaccinium  ovatum,  Pursh.). 
Flowers  pink  or  white,  waxen,  small  and  bell-shaped,  about  | 
inch  long,  in  short  clusters  from  the  axils  of  the  alternate, 
shiny  leaves.  Blooming  in  spring  and  early  summer  in  the 
Coast  Ranges  from  Central  California  to  Oregon  and  Washing- 
ton. Frequent  in  the  redwood  forests. 

The  California  Huckleberry  is  one  of  the  loveliest  of  shrubs, 
whether  in  flower  or  fruit  or  neither.  The  red  stems,  clothed 
with  glossy  evergreen  leaves,  are  very  graceful  rising  to  the 
height  sometimes  of  8  feet,  though  usually  less.  They  are  cut 
in  large  quantities  for  Christmas  greens.  The  purplish-black 
berries,  though  small,  are  juicy  and  good. 


141 


MADRONO  (Arbutus  M enziesii,  Pursh.).  A  shrub  or  stately 
tree,  distinguished  by  shiny,  evergreen  foliage,  a  reddish- 
brown  trunk,  and  the  thin  red  bark  of  the  limbs  and  upper 
stem,  which  peels  off  in  cinnamon-like  quills,  and  reveals  an 
under-bark  of  green.  The  mature  leaves  are  2^  to  5  inches 
long,  leathery  like  those  of  magnolias.  They  turn  in  summer 
to  tones  of  red  and  fall  to  the  ground,  which  then  becomes  gay 
with  the  mingled  reds  of  ripened  foliage  and  bark.  The 
flowers  are  wraxen-white,  urn-shaped,  individually  small  but 
borne  in  large,  showy  clusters  resembling  Lilies  of  the  Valley, 
and  appear  in  February  and  early  spring.  In  the  autumn 
these  are  succeeded  by  the  abundant,  berry-like  fruit,  which  is 
brilliant  orange-red  in  color,  each  berry  about  the  size  of  a  pea. 

The  Madrono  is  at  its  best  in  the  Coast  Ranges  from  the 
neighborhood  of  San  Francisco  to  Puget  Sound,  though  it  is 
met  with  sparingly  as  far  south  as  Mexico.  The  name  dates 
from  the  Spanish  settlement  of  California,  Madrono  being  the 
Spanish  for  the  European  Strawberry-tree  (Arbutus  Unedo) 
for  which  our  tree  was  at  first  mistaken. 


142 


MANZANITA  (Arcfostdphylos  Manzanita,  Parry).  Flowers 
white  or  pinkish,  urn-shaped,  in  short,  crowded  racemes. 
Leaves  pale  green,  thick,  often  vertical  by  the  twisting  of  the 
footstalk.  A  variable  shrub  or  small  tree,  3  to  25  feet  high, 
frequent  in  the  chaparral  belt  of  the  California  Mountains, 
blooming  sometimes  in  midwinter  but  usually  from  February 
to  April,  the  blossoms  "like  little  classic  vases  cut  in  alabaster," 
to  quote  the  happy  simile  of  Mr.  J.  S.  Chase  in  "Yosemite 
Trails." 

The  Maazanita  is  of  striking  appearance  because  of  its  very 
crooked,  hard,  polished  branches  from  which  the  thin,  choco- 
late-red bark  peels  in  shreds  and  patches.  The  name  is  Span- 
ish for  "little  apple,"  and  well  describes  the  rosy  little  berries 
which  abound  upon  the  bushes  in  summer.  When  green  these 
berries  are  rather  tart  arid  chewed  in  the  mouth  are  a  relief 
from  thirst,  but  the  pulp  had  best  not  be  swallowed.  When 
mature  they  are  dry  and  mealy,  and  Indians  have  found  them 
nutritious,  both  cooked  and  raw,  though  too  free  consumption 
induces  serious  intestinal  stoppage.  A  capital  cider  may  also 
be  made  from  them,  and  white  mountaineers  prize  them  for 
jelly  making. 


143 


WESTERN  A2ALEA  (Rhododendron  occidentdle,  Gray).  Flow- 
ers showy,  2  to  3  inches  long,  white  or  pinkish,  funnel-form 
with  spreading  lobes  one  of  which  bears  a  yellow  stripe  or 
blotch;  stamens  and  pistil  long  exserted;  borne  in  umbels  at 
the  branch  ends,  fragrant  but  sticky.  Leaves  deciduous, 
bright-green,  2  to  4  inches  long,  clustered  at  the  branch  ends. 

The  Western  Azalea  is  frequent  along  streams  in  the  moun- 
tains throughout  California  and  northward  to  Oregon,  where, 
like  the  far  eastern  cousin  of  Atlantic  woodlands  which  it 
resembles,  it  often  goes  by  the  inaccurate  name  WTild  Honey- 
suckle. The  flowers  open  in  early  June,  but  are  usually  gone 
by  the  last  of  July.  The  bushes  are  from  2  to  10  feet  high, 
and  the  luxuriant  flower  masses,  almost  hiding  the  foliage, 
make  a  scene  of  all  but  tropical  magnificence  extending  some 
times  for  miles  along  the  mountain  waters.  Visitors  in  early 
summer  to  the  Yosemite  region  find  in  such  fragrant  Azalea 
thickets  one  of  the  lasting  pleasures  of  that  wild  world. 

While  the  Azalea  is  classed  in  the  genus  Rhododendron  by 
most  botanical  writers,  there  are  some  who  prefer  to  consider 
it  as  a  separate  genus.  The  botanic  distinctions,  however,  are 
hard  to  establish,  in  spite  of  a  difference  in  general  aspect  that 
is  noticeable. 

144 


ROSE  DAY  (Rhododendron  califdrnicum,  Hook).  Flowers 
rose-pink,  about  2  inches  in  diameter,  somewhat  bell-shaped, 
the  upper  corolla-lobe  spotted  with  yellow;  borne  in  terminal 
many-flowered  umbels,  without  fragrance,  in  the  midst  of 
clustered,  leathery,  evergreen  leaves  from  4  to  6  inches  long  or 
even  more.  A  shrub  from  3  to  15  feet  high,  sometimes  forming 
dense  thickets,  acres  in  extent,  in  the  mountains  from  Northern 
California  northward  through  Oregon  and  Washington. 
Blooming  in  the  spring  and  early  summer. 

The  compelling  beauty  of  the  Rose  Bay  has  caused  it  to 
be  popularly  adopted  in  Washington  as  that  State's  floral 
emblem.  It  resembles,  but  exceeds  in  charm  of  flower,  the 
famous  Carolina  Rhododendron  (C.  Catawbiense)  which  flori- 
culturists long  ago  hybridized  with  a  Mediterranean  species 
to  produce  the  variety  most  commonly  cultivated  nowadays 
in  American  gardens.  Our  R.  Californicum  has  been  intro- 
duced into  English  gardens  where  it  has  proved  a  success. 

Rhododendron  is  a  name  that  comes  down  to  us  from  classic 
times  and  means  Rose-tree.  The  ancients,  however,  did  not 
use  the  word  for  the  plants  we  call  so,  but  to  designate  the 
oleander. 


145 


HEATHER  (Bryanthus  Br6weri,  Gray).  Flowers  crimson, 
saucer-shaped,  about  \  inch  across,  stamens  and  style  much 
exserted;  borne  in  showy  clusters  at  the  branch  ends.  Leaves 
stiff  and  crowded,  bristling  out  on  all  sides  of  the  stems,  linear 
with  rolled-back  margins. 

Bryanthus  is  a  genus  of  heath-like,  arctic-alpine  plants, 
of  which  the  Pacific  Coast  has  two  or  three.  Of  these  B. 
Breweri  is  the  best  known  and  will  be  observed  by  every  visitor 
to  the  High  Sierra  of  California,  where  it  spreads  its  charming 
mats  of  ruddy  bloom  over  gravelly  slopes  and  about  mountain 
tarns  throughout  July  and  August.  It  begins  to  appear  at 
about  10,000  feet  elevation.  It  occurs  as  far  south  as  the  sum- 
mit of  Mount  San  Gorgonio  in  Southern  California. 

The  botanical  name  means  Moss-flower,  given,  Doctor  Gray 
tells  us,  because  the  originally  described  species  grew  among 
mosses;  and  the  specific  name  commemorates  the  geologist 
Wm.  H.  Brewer  of  the  California  Geological  Survey  of  hah*  a 
century  ago.  The  popular  name  Heather  seems  well  estab- 
lished, but  is  somewhat  unfortunate,  as  the  Heather  of  litera- 
ture is  quite  dissimilar  to  this,  and  is  not  a  Pacific  Coast  plant. 


146 


WHITE  HEATHER  (Casswpe  Mertensiana,  Don.)-  Flowers 
white,  or  pale  pink,  bell-shaped,  like  those  of  Lily-of- the- valley, 
solitary  and  nodding,  on  erect,  naked  peduncles  rising  from  the 
axils  of  the  leaves.  Leaves  about  |  inch  long,  boat-shaped, 
and  overlapping  one  another  in  the  manner  of  scales,  in  four 
ranks  upon  the  branches,  which  rise  barely  a  foot  above  the 
ground. 

This  odd,  little  plant  with  slender,  creeping  stems  that  sug- 
gest a  Club-moss  in  their  habit,  is  found  blooming  in  summer 
among  the  rocks  of  the  higher  altitudes  of  the  Sierra  Nevada 
near  timber  line,  from  the  Yosemite  region  northward.  It 
was  the  favorite  flower  of  John  Muir,  whose  writings  contain 
many  references  to  it — his  "lowly,  hardy,  adventurous  Cassi- 
ope."  Its  tangled  beds  make  a  notable  feature  in  alpine  mead- 
ows and  on  the  borders  of  glacier  lakes  upon  the  crest  of  the 
Sierra  northward  along  the  Cascades  of  Oregon,  Washington, 
and  British  Columbia  to  far-off  Alaska.  It  is  found  usually 
at  slightly  higher  elevations  than  Bryanthus. 


147 


SALAL  (Gaultheria  Shdllon,  Pursh.).  Flowers  white  or 
pinkish,  about  3  inch  long,  urn-shaped,  viscid,  in  elongated, 
many-flowered  racemes.  Leaves  ovate,  evergreen,  leathery, 
finely  toothed,  alternate,  2  to  4  inches  long.  A  shrub  1  to  3 
feet  high,  sometimes  taller  and  sometimes  prostrate;  with 
stout  spreading  stems — branches  and  flower  stalks,  as  well  as 
the  corolla,  sticky  hairy.  Blooming  in  spring  or  early  sum- 
mer in  the  shade  of  trees  in  the  Coast  Ranges  from  Santa  Bar- 
bara northward  to  British  Columbia. 

The  Salal  is  a  feature  of  the  forest  floor-covering  under  the 
redwoods  of  Northern  California;  but  its  most  robust  develop- 
ment is  attained  in  Oregon  and  the  upper  limit  of  its  range. 
In  autumn  the  plants  are  adorned  with  purple-black  berries 
resembling  small  grapes,  of  a  spicy  fragrance  and  taste.  The 
Oregon  Indians  made  them  a  part  of  their  diet.  Lewis  and 
Clarke's  journal  usually  records  the  aboriginal  name  for  the 
plant  as  Shallun,  but  in  one  place  as  Shelwel.  The  Indians 
make  a  kind  of  syrup  of  the  berries  and  also,  according  to  the 
journal,  a  sort  of  bread,  "which  being  boiled  with  roots  forms 
a  soup,  which  was  served  in  neat  wooden  trenchers." 


148 


PRINCE'S  PIXE  (Chimdphila  Menziesii,  Spreng.).  Flowers 
fragrant,  white  or  pinkish,  the  5  waxen,  roundish,  concave  pet- 
als spreading  and  somewhat  turned  back;  borne  singly,  or  2  or 
3,  on  a  terminal  naked  stalk;  the  sticky  stigma  quite  promin- 
ent, button-like  with  blunt  rays.  Leaves  narrowish,  leathery, 
dark  green,  the  upper  surface  sometimes  mottled  with  white. 
A  low  evergreen  plant,  rarely  6  inches  high,  branching  from 
woody  runners,  in  coniferous  woods  from  Central  California 
to  British  Columbia;  blooming  in  summer. 

The  name  Chimaphila  means  "winter-loving,"  and  was 
given  the  genus  by  the  botanist  Pursh  when  he  separated  it 
from  the  genus  Pyrola  some  species  of  which  were  much  used 
in  his  time  for  indoor  winter  decorations,  under  the  general 
name  of  "winter-green." 

The  well-known  plant  of  Atlantic  Coast  woodlands  called 
Pipsissewa  (Chimaphila  umbellata,  Nutt.),  is  also  found  on  the 
Pacific  Coast  and  in  similar  situations  to  C.  Menziesii,  and 
may  be  distinguished  from  the  latter  by  the  greater  abundance 
of  its  leaves  which  are  never  spotted,  and  by  its  larger  flowers, 
some  in  clusters  of  4  to  7.  The  leaves  of  Chimaphila  possess 
a  principle  which  has  occasioned  their  use  in. medicine  to  some 
extent  as  a  tonic,  astringent,  and  diuretic. 
149 


SNOW  PLANT  (Sarcodes  sanguinea,  Torr.).  Flowers  and 
the  whole  plant  red  or  sometimes  tinged  with  yellow;  a  stout, 
fleshy,  columnar  plant,  6  inches  to  a  foot  or  so  high,  clothed 
below  in  place  of  leaves  with  shingled,  fleshy,  pointed  scales, 
the  bell-shaped  flowers  occupying  the  upper  half  of  the  plant 
in  the  form  of  a  thick  spike,  mingled  with  short  curling  bracts. 
Blooming  in  late  spring  or  summer,  often  several  together, 
in  the  litter  of  the  forest  floor  at  altitudes  above  4,000  feet 
in  the  Sierras  of  California  south  to  San  Pedro  Martir  in 
Lower  California,  north  to  Oregon  and  eastward  to  Nevada. 

The  Snow  Plant  is  believed  to  be  an  example  of  symbiosis, 
a  case  of  partnership  with  a  fungus  which  lives  upon  its  roots 
and  acts  as  agent  to  gather  nitrogen  from  the  soil  for  its  host. 
The  common  name  merely  indicates  that  it  is  sometimes — by 
no  means  always — found  blooming  in  or  near  the  snow.  In 
the  Yosemite  National  Park,  where  it  is  always  a  curiosity  to 
visitors,  it  is  forbidden  by  law  to  pluck  the  plant,  in  order  that 
it  may  not  be  exterminated. 


150 


PINE-DROPS  (Pterdspora  Andromedea,  Nutt.).  Flowers 
white  or  yellowish,  urn-shaped,  drooping  in  a  long,  many- 
flowered  raceme  terminating  the  brownish-red,  clammy,  sticky 
stem  which  (including  the  flowers)  is  from  1  to  4  feet  tall. 
Leaves  reduced  to  scattered  scales. 

The  fleshy,  slender  stems  of  the  Pine-drops,  straight  as  ar- 
rows, are  an  arresting  sight  in  the  oak  and  coniferous  woods  of 
the  Pacific  Coast,  whether  in  summer  when  strung  with  their 
waxen  bells  of  bloom,  or  in  winter  when  the  fruit  capsules 
have  taken  then-  place.  Its  roots  consist  of  clustered,  coral- 
like  fibres  which  attach  themselves  parasitically  to  other  living 
plants.  The  lover  of  sights  that  have  to  be  magnified  will 
find  interest  in  the  tiny  seeds,  each  of  which  bears  a  thin, 
translucent,  veined  wing  many  times  larger  than  the  seed  it- 
self. It  was  this  characteristic  which  suggested  the  botanical 
name,  meaning  "winged-seeded." 

Pine-drops  is  found  not  only  on  the  Pacific  Coast,  but 
in  the  Rocky  Mountain  region  south  to  Arizona,  and  eastward 
to  New  England.  Some  botanists  place  it  and  its  parasitic 
kindred  in  a  family  to  themselves  which  they  call  Mono- 
tropacece. 


151 


PRIMROSE  FAMILY 

(Primulacece) 

Herbs  with  regular,  perfect  flowers,  the  parts  of  the  calyx 
an.d  gamopetalous  corolla  usually  in  5's.  Stamens  of  the  same 
number  as  the  lobes  of  the  corolla,  and  opposite  to  them,  in- 
serted on  its  base. 

SHOOTING  STAR  (Dodocdtheon  Cleveldndi,  Greene).  Flowers 
white,  lilac  or  pinkish  with  a  yellow  ring  at  the  base,  the  5 
deeply-cleft  corolla  lobes  sharply  reflexed,  as  in  the  garden  cy- 
clamen; the  stamens  and  pistil  bunched  together  and  ex- 
tending like  a  purple  beak  at  the  tip  of  the  nodding  flowers; 
blossoms  borne  in  umbels  on  naked  stalks  from  a  few  inches 
to  a  foot  or  more  tall.  Leaves  thickish,  in  a  basal  tuft. 
Blooming  from  February  until  May  in  meadows  and  on  grassy 
slopes  in  Southern  California — one  of  the  best  beloved  of 
Pacific  Coast  wild  flowers,  often  called  Wild  Cyclamen. 


152 


JEFFREY'S  SHOOTING  STAR  (Dodocdtheon  JSffreyi,  Van  H.). 
Flowers  nodding,  purplish-pink,  paling  toward  the  base  which 
is  ringed  with  yellow,  the  corolla  segments  strongly  reflexed, 
and  the  connivent  anthers  forming  a  beak;  disposed  in  an  um- 
bel of  5  to  15  blossoms,  on  a  naked  stem  from  a  few  inches  to 
lj  feet  high.  Leaves  clustered  at  the  ground  from  2  inches 
to  over  a  foot  long.  Plant  somewhat  viscid,  blooming  in  sum- 
mer in  wet  mountain  meadows  of  California,  especially  in  the 
Sierra  Nevada,  northward  to  Oregon. 

Jeffrey's  Shooting  Star  is  the  species  the  visitor  in  the 
Yosemite  is  most  likely  to  see,  as  it  is  very  abundant  in  many 
places  in  that  Park.  In  the  High  Sierras  a  variety  occurs 
which  is  characterized  by  larger  size  and  a  strong  fragrance  of 
the  herbage.  This  has  been  named  var.  redolens  by  Doctor 
Hall.  Dodocatheon  is  one  of  the  genera  that  have  given 
botanists  a  lot  of  trouble  to  systematize,  because  of  the  lack 
of  stable,  clear-cut  differences  between  varying  forms.  The 
marked  similarity  of  the  flowers,  however,  in  the  half  dozen 
Pacific  Coast  species,  makes  the  genus  itself  of  easy  identifica- 
tion by  the  nontechnical. 


153 


PIMPERXEL  (Anagdllis  arvensis,  L.).  Flowers  wheel-shaped, 
barely  |  inch  in  diameter,  salmon-red  (rarely  blue  or  white), 
with  a  dark  purple  spot  at  the  centre;  borne  singly  on  thread- 
like footstalks  from  the  axils  of  the  opposite  sessile  leaves.  A 
low,  spreading  annual  of  neat  habit  with  square  stems,  bloom- 
ing in  summer  and  common  everywhere  in  waste  places,  along 
roadsides  and  in  fields.  Leaves  and  flowers  are  usually  in 
pairs. 

The  Pimpernel  is  an  immigrant  from  the  Old  World,  and  is 
at  home  quite  across  the  Continent.  One  would  call  it  a 
weed  if  one  had  the  requisite  indifference  of  heart  thus  to  desig- 
nate so  innocent  and  appealing  a  face  amid  the  grasses.  The 
flowers  are  addicted  to  that  habit — so  captivating  to  the  child- 
like mind — of  closing  at  nightfall,  or  even  at  the  approach  of 
cloudy  weather,  whence  a  number  of  descriptive  popular  names 
for  it  in  England,  as  Poor  Man's  Weather-glass,  Shepherd's 
Warning,  Wink-a-peep,  and  John-go-to-bed-at-noon.  The 
last  name  is  hardly  deserved  on  our  Coast,  for  the  flowers  stay 
open  until  much  after  noon,  if  the  day  be  sunny. 


154 


SIERRA  PRIMROSE  (Primula  suffrutescens,  Gray).  Flowers 
red-purple,  ^  inch  to  an  inch  across,  salver-shaped,  the  5  lobes 
notched,  borne  in  a  loose  umbel  topping  a  leafless  stalk  4 
inches  high  or  less.  Leaves  thick,  wedge-shaped,  several- 
toothed  at  the  summit  and  tapering  to  a  margined  footstalk; 
all  crowded  on  woody  stems  or  rootstocks  close  to  the  ground. 
Blooming  in  summer  in  the  crevices  of  rocks  or  on  gravelly 
ridges  on  the  higher  peaks  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  of  California. 

Visitors  in  the  Yosemite  National  Park  who  essay  the  ad- 
venture of  the  High  Sierra  in  late  July  or  August,  are  pretty 
sure  to  be  rewarded  by  the  sight  of  the  brilliant  posies  of 
this  shrubby  Sierra  Primrose — the  only  true  primrose  native  to 
California.  It  is  one  of  those  charming  plants,  to  quote  John 
Muir,  "gentle  mountaineers,  Nature's  darlings,  which  seem 
always  the  finer  the  higher  and  stormier  their  homes."  Per- 
haps it  is  with  plants  as  it  is  with  a  fine  humanity,  the  storm 
and  stress  of  life  serves  only  to  bring  out  the  best  in  them. 


155 


PLUMBAGO  FAMILY 

(Plumbaginaceae) 

Usually  herbaceous  plants  of  the  sea  coast,  with  mostly  basal 
tufted  leaves.  Corolla  of  5  long-clawed  parts  united  at  the 
base  or  into  a  tube.  Stamens  opposite  the  corolla  segments. 
Calyx  plaited  between  its  lobes,  and  persistent. 

SEA  PINK  (Armeria  vulgdris,  Willd.).  Flowers  rose  color 
or  white,  individually  small,  but  showy  in  compact,  clustered 
heads,  with  a  sort  of  involucre  beneath  of  chaffy  bracts;  on 
naked  stalks  from  3  inches  to  a  foot  high  or  so.  Leaves  nar- 
row, without  distinction  of  blade  and  petiole,  crowded  at  the 
ground  in  dense  tufts.  Blooming  in  spring  and  early  summer 
on  downs  and  bluffs  along  the  seacoast  from  California  to 
Alaska. 

The  Sea  Pink  is  native  to  the  Old  World  as  well  as  ours,  and 
has  long  been  a  favorite  in  old-fashioned  gardens  under  the 
name  of  Thrift.  That  has  nothing  to  do  with  frugality,  how- 
ever, but  is  merely  the  survival  of  an  old  meaning  of  a  partici- 
pial form  of  thrive,  and  signifies  "clustered,"  an  allusion  to  the 
plant's  growing  in  tufts. 

156 


STORAX  FAMILY 

(Styracacece) 

A  small  order  of  shrubs  or  trees  with  alternate,  simple 
leaves,  and  usually  regular,  perfect  flowers.  Stamens  at  least 
twice  as  many  as  the  petals  or  corolla  lobes,  inserted  on  its 
tube  or  base,  the  filaments  wholly  or  in  part  united. 

CALIFORNIA  STORAX  (Styrax  californica,  Torr.).  Flowers 
white,  about  an  inch  long,  bell-shaped,  the  petals  conspicu- 
ously overlapping  in  the  bud,  in  loose,  few  flowered,  drooping 
racemes  which  are  axillary  or  terminal.  Leaves  deciduous, 
somewhat  oval,  an  inch  or  two  long.  A  downy-scurfy  shrub, 
5  to  8  feet  high,  blooming  in  April  and  May  in  the  mountains 
of  California. 

The  genus  Styrax  is  of  numerous  species  widely  distributed 
in  the  warmer  parts  of  the  world.  Some  have  been  noted 
from  very  early  times  for  their  yield  of  valuable  aromatic 
gums;  others  for  the  charm  of  their  flowers.  Our  beautiful 
California  Storax  is  in  the  latter  class,  and  it  has  to  some  extent 
been  introduced  into  cultivation,  especially  in  England. 


157 


GENTIAN  FAMILY 

(Gentianacece) 

Smooth,  bitter  herbs  with  opposite  leaves.  Stamens  as 
many  as  the  lobes  of  the  gamopetalous  corolla,  inserted  on  its 
tube  or  throat. 

CANCHALAGUA  (Eryihrcea  ventista,  Gray).  Flowers  about 
an  inch  in  diameter,  pink  or  reddish  with  a  yellow  or  white  eye, 
borne  in  a  loose,  showy  panicle  on  a  stem  3  inches  to  2  feet 
high.  Leaves  ^  inch  to  1  inch  long,  lanceolate,  sessile.  A 
slender  annual,  blooming  from  April  to  July,  on  dry  hills  and 
grassy  mesas  of  Central  and  Southern  California — most 
abundant  in  the  South. 

Canchalagua  is  one  of  the  most  famous  of  Pacific  Coast 
medicinal  herbs,  valued  alike  by  Americans,  Spanish-Cali- 
fornians  and  Indians  as  a  febrifuge.  The  plant  is  gathered 
and  dried,  and  a  tea,  made  from  it,  is  a  standard  bitter  tonic  in 
old-fashioned  families.  Because  of  the  bitter  principle  resi- 
dent in  the  plant,  the  name  Wild  Quinine  is  also  given  it. 
Kindred  species  in  Mexico  and  South  America  possess  similar 
properties. 


158 


MILKWEED  FAMILY 

(Asclepiadacece) 

Herbs,  vines  or  shrubs  with  usually  a  milky  juice.  Flowers 
5-parted,  the  divisions  reflexed  in  our  genera;  anthers  united  to 
the  stigma  in  the  form  of  a  crown,  with  5  hood-like  appendages 
making  a  circle  about  it.  Fruit  a  pod,  the  numerous  seeds 
each  bearing  a  tuft  of  silky  hairs  at  the  tip. 

WOOLLY  MILKWEED  (Asclepias  eriocarpa,  Benth.).  Flow- 
ers creamy  white,  the  stamen-hoods  each  provided  with  an 
acute  horn.  Leaves  short-petioled,  4  to  8  inches  long;  the 
whole  plant,  which  is  2  to  4  feet  high,  densely  clothed  with  a 
loose  wool,  even  to  the  calyx.  By  roadsides  and  on  hills, 
Central  and  Southern  California. 

The  Woolly  Milkweed  is  perhaps  the  commonest  of  several 
Pacific  Coast  species.  The  Indians  obtained  from  the  tough 
inner  bark  a  strong  fibre  of  which  they  manufactured  carry- 
ing nets  and  rope;  and  the  sweet,  milky  juice  was  used  as  a 
lotion  for  cuts  and  sores,  and  also  as  chewing  gum. 


159 


PHLOX  FAMILY 

(Polemoniacece) 

Herbs  and  shrubs  with  mostly  regular  flowers;  calyx  and 
gamopetalous  corolla  5-parted,  the  5  stamens  inserted  on  the 
corolla  tube.  Style  usually  3-lobed.  Corolla  twisted  in  the 
bud. 

BIRD'S  EYE  (Gilia  tricolor,  Benth.).  Flowers  funnel-form, 
^  inch  long,  the  spreading  lobes  pale  lilac,  the  tube  yellow  with 

5  purple  spots  at  the  throat;  borne  in  few-  or  several-flowered 
clusters,  on  rather  short  peduncles.     Leaves  twice-pinnately 
parted  into  narrow  divisions.     A  slender,  branching,  annual. 

6  inches  to  1  or  2  feet  high.     Common  on  hillsides  of  Western 
Middle  California,  blooming  in  the  spring  and  early  summer. 

This  charming  wilding  was  one  of  the  discoveries  of  that 
famous  pioneer  collector  David  Douglas,  whom  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society  of  London  sent  to  the  Pacific  Coast  in 
quest  of  floral  novelties  nearly  a  century  ago.  Under  a  number 
of  forms  it  has  been  a  favorite  in  gardens  both  abroad  and  in 
our  own  country,  being  of  easiest  culture. 


160 


BLUE  GILIA  (Gilia  capitata,  Dougl.).  Flowers  blue,  rather 
small,  in  crowded  head-like  clusters,  stamens  conspicuously 
exserted,  an  inch  across  or  more,  terminating  long  naked  stalks. 
Leaves  finely  divided  into  numerous,  very  slender  or  even 
thread-like  segments.  A  slender  annual,  a  foot  or  so  high, 
blooming  in  the  spring  in  the  Coast  Ranges  from  Central  Cali- 
fornia to  Oregon. 

There  are  two  Pacific  Coast  species  nearly  related,  that  are 
known  as  Blue  Gilia.  The  other,  which  closely  resembles 
Gilia  capitata,  is  Gilia  achillecefolia,  Benth.,  which  means  the 
"Yarrow-leaved  Gilia."  It  is  a  rather  stouter  plant,  the  blue 
or  lavender  flower  clusters  larger  and  less  compact,  sometimes 
2  inches  across.  It  is  abundant  in  the  Yosemite  region,  and 
southward  in  the  foothills  to  Southern  California  where  it  will 
be  found  in  flower  from  April  to  June.  Both  species  are  old 
favorites  in  gardens. 

The  name  Gilia  was  given  in  honor  of  a  Spanish  botanist, 
Philip  Gil,  and  is  usually  pronounced  jil'ia,  though  some 
botanists  call  it  heel'-ia  in  conformity  with  the  Spanish  pro- 
nunciation of  the  name  which  it  commemorates. 


161 


FRINGED  GILIA  (Gilia  dianthoides,  Endl.).  Flowers  f  inch 
across  or  more,  pinkish  or  lilac  paling  to  white,  with  a  yellow 
throat;  funnel-form,  the  satiny  corolla  lobes  fringe- toothed. 
Leaves  opposite,  narrowly  linear  or  thread-like.  A  low  an- 
nual, simple  or  branching  from  the  base,  often  only  an  inch  or 
two  high  and  rarely  if  ever  more  than  6  inches;  blooming  from 
February  till  May,  on  sunny  grassy  mesas  and  in  sandy 
washes  of  Southern  California. 

The  Fringed  Gilia  is  one  of  the  choicest  of  spring  annuals, 
and  the  sunny  spaces  where  it  grows  are  sometimes  spangled 
for  acres  with  the  exquisite  blossoms.  The  vital  energy  of  the 
little  plant  goes  aboundingly  into  the  generous,  showy  flowers, 
in  comparison  with  which  the  leaves  and  stems  are  insignifi- 
cant— in  fact,  quite  hidden  by  them,  It  has  been  introduced 
into  cultivation  both  in  this  country  and  abroad  under  the 
name  Fenzlia  dianthiflora,  Benth.,  and  several  varieties  are 
employed  in  edgings  and  rockwork. 


162 


EVENING  SNOW  (Gilia  dichdtoma,  Benth.).  Flowers  salver- 
form,  fragrant,  white,  an  inch  across  or  more,  with  a  brownish 
margin  on  the  outside,  sessile  in  the  forks  of  the  branches  or 
terminating  long  stalks.  The  scanty  leaves  are  thread-like, 
simple  or  divided  into  3  to  5  segments.  A  slender,  branch- 
ing annual  a  few  inches  to  If  feet  tall,  blooming  in  spring  in  the 
foothills  of  Central  California,  and  eastward  in  the  deserts  to 
Arizona. 

My  first  acquaintance  with  this  Gilia  was  rather  dramatic. 
One  morning  on  the  Mojave  Desert  of  California  we  pitched 
our  camp  in  a  spot  that  seemed  innocent  of  any  floral  presence. 
In  the  late  afternoon  happening  to  look  from  my  tent  door,  I 
was  startled  to  see  the  ground  all  about  white  with  myriads  of 
expanded  blossoms  of  this  plant,  well  named  Evening  Snow. 
They  remained  open  throughout  the  night  exhaling  a  notice- 
able fragrance,  and  in  the  morning  they  folded  themselves 
up  very  neatly  like  so  many  umbrellas,  to  repeat  their  per- 
formance the  next  night.  The  stems  were  so  slight  and  scanty 
of  leaf  that  when  the  corollas  were  shut,  the  whole  plant 
seemed  to  sink  invisible  into  the  background  of  yellow  desert. 


163 


PRICKLY  PHLOX  (Gilia  califdrnica,  Benth.).  Flowers  salver- 
form,  1  inch  to  1^  inches  across,  rose-pink  or  lilac  with  a  white 
centre,  solitary  and  sessile  or  a  few  in  a  cluster  at  the  ends  of 
the  branchlets.  Leaves  opposite  and  crowded  along  the 
woody  branches,  divided  into  several  sharp-pointed,  rigid, 
needle-like  segments.  A  shrubby  plant  whose  clustered, 
Iristling  stems  grow  to  a  height  of  2  or  3  feet,  their  armor  of 
spiny  leaves  making  the  flowers  as  hard  to  gather  as  thistle 
blooms. 

Set  like  wild  roses  in  gipsy  hair,  the  bright  blossoms  of  the 
Prickly  Phlox  glow  in  the  dark  tangle  of  the  chaparral  in  late 
spring  and  early  summer  from  Monterey  southward,  and  onl}' 
the  blind  can  fail  to  notice  them.  In  their  season  they  are 
among  the  commonest  of  wild  blossoms  in  Southern  Cali- 
fornia— a  favorite  habitat  being  on  dry  hillsides,  whence  an- 
other popular  name,  Mountain  Fink.  It  is  also  abundant  in 
those  tracts  of  semi-desert  which  everywhere  in  Southern  Cali- 
fornia lie  close  to  the  borders  of  the  irrigated  country,  and  there 
blooms  gloriously  amid  the  cactus  and  bowlders  of  sandy 
washes. 


164 


WILD  BOUVARDIA  (Gilia  grandiflora,  Gray).  Flowers  fun- 
nel-form, salmon-color,  borne  in  showy,  terminal,  hemispher- 
ical, clammy  heads  a  couple  of  inches  across.  Leaves  sessile, 
narrow  and  at  least  the  upper  alternate.  Stems  1  to  2  feet 
high.  Blooming  in  summer  in  dry  ground  in  California  north- 
ward to  Washington,  eastward  to  Nevada  and  Utah.  Very 
common  in  the  Yosemite  region. 

Like  so  many  of  the  Gilias,  this  species  was  long  ago  intro- 
duced into  cultivation  abroad,  but  under  the  name  Collomia 
grandiflora,  Dougl.  The  genus  Gilia,  indeed,  has  been  split  up 
into  a  dozen  or  more  genera  by  some  botanists;  but  it  is  so  dif- 
ficult to  establish  the  distinctions  that  the  best  usage  has  put 
most  of  them  back  into  Gilia.  About  50  species  are  indigen- 
ous to  the  Western  United  States.  Another  familiar  one  of 
the  Sierra  Nevada  and  the  Rocky  Mountain  region,  is  the 
brilliant,  scarlet  Gilia  aggregata,  Spreng.,  of  which  Doctor 
Coville  records  a  pretty  Klamath  Indian  belief  that  in  old 
times  the  wild  doves  drank  no  water  but  only  the  nectar  of 
this  flower;  so  that  to  this  day  they  call  it  ohl'sam  bohn'icas, 
"the  drink-plant  of  the  doves." 


165 


WATERLEAF  FAMILY 

(Hydrophyllaceci) 

Herbs  or  sometimes  shrubs,  with  regular  5-parted  flowers 
generally  in  coiled  spikes  or  racemes,  the  stamens  borne  on  the 
lower  part  of  the  corolla  tube.  Styles  2  or  twice  cleft. 

BABY-BLUE-EYES  (Nemdphila  insignis,  Dougl.).  Flowers 
pure  blue  with  a  white  centre,  ^  to  an  inch  or  so  in  diameter, 
solitary  on  terminal  or  lateral  stalks.  Leaves  divided  into 
7  to  9  divisions,  these  often  more  or  less  lobed  again.  A  low, 
rather  hairy  annual,  spreading  by  stems  of  tender  texture; 
blooming  from  February  to  May  in  more  or  less  shaded  places 
throughout  California. 

Baby-blue-eyes  is  one  of  those  ethereal  creations  in  the  plant 
world,  of  which  it  is  hard  to  speak  except  in  terms  of  poetry — it 
appeals  so  directly  to  the  heart.  If  David  Douglas  had  done 
nothing  more  than  discover  this  "lovely  harbinger  of  the 
California  spring,"  as  he  called  it,  he  would  have  deserved  the 
gratitude  of  the  world;  for  through  him  it  was  introduced  to 
the  gardens  of  Europe,  where  it  has  long  been  a  favorite. 


ICC 


SPOTTED  XEMOPHILA  (Nemdphila  mdculata,  Benth.). 
Flowers  about  an  inch  to  1^  inches  in  diameter,  saucer-shaped, 
white,  purple-dotted  and  with  a  purple  blotch  at  the  tip  of  each 
lobe  of  the  corolla.  Leaves  lyre-shaped,  deeply  5-  to  9-parted. 
A  low,  hairy  annual  with  spreading  stems;  blooming  in  summer 
in  Central  California  from  the  Sacramento  Valley  to  the 
Sierra  Nevada,  including  the  Yosemite  region.  Occasion- 
ally one  meets  with  a  form  in  which  the  purple-blotch  is  ab- 
sent. This  is  the  variety  concohr. 

There  are  hah*  a  dozen  species  or  more  of  Nemophila  indig- 
enous to  the  Pacific  Coast.  Not  all  are  as  showy  of  blossom 
as  the  Spotted  Nemophila,  which,  like  its  charming  cousin, 
Baby-blue-eyes,  has  long  been  cultivated  in  gardens.  The 
flowers  of  all  are  distinguished  by  the  calyx  being  provided 
between  each  division  with  an  extra  lobe  which  is  sharply 
turned  back.  The  word  Nemophila  means  "grove-loving," 
an  allusion  to  the  plants'  liking  for  shady  places.  Among 
gardeners  the  cultivated  forms  sometimes  go  under  the  name 
California  Blue-bells,  an  unhappy  misnomer,  for  blue-bells 
thev  are  not. 


167 


WHISPERING  EELLS  (Emmendnthe  penduliflora,  Benth.). 
Flowers  abc<ut  \  inch  long,  cream-colored  or  light  yellow,  bell- 
shaped,  erect  at  first,  but  eventually  drooping  on  thread-like 
stalks;  borne  in  rather  short,  loose  racemes,  on  stems  from  6 
inches  to  nearly  2  feet  tall.  Leaves  narrow  with  numerous 
shallow,  toothed  lobes.  A  hairy,  somewhat  sticky  annual, 
often  branched  from  the  base,  blooming  from  April  to  June, 
and  frequent  on  dry,  open  slopes  and  hills,  Central  and  South- 
ern California,  eastward  to  Utah  and  Arizona. 

Your  first  sight  of  Whispering  Bells  may  lead  you  to  think 
this  popular  name  more  sentimental  than  true,  for  though  the 
freshly  opened  flowers  certainly  simulate  bells,  they  do  not 
whisper.  Found  late  in  the  season,  however,  the  corollas  are 
as  dry  as  paper  and  rustle  in  every  passing  breeze,  justifying 
the  poetic  appellative.  The  persistence  of  the  flowers  after 
fading  is — with  the  yellow  color — a  character  that  distin- 
guishes the  genus  Emmenanthe  from  the  closely  allied  Phacelia. 
In  fact  the  flowers  have  the  property  of  Everlastings  and  may, 
as  they,  be  employed  for  dry  floral  decoration.  The  name 
Emmenanthe  is  a  Greekish  way  of  saying — "the  flower  that 
abides." 

168 


WILD  HELIOTROPE  (Phacelia  distant.  Benth.).  Flowers 
blue  to  whitish,  nearly  \  inch  across,  wheel-shaped,  stamens 
but  slightly  exserted;  disposed  in  clustered  coils  unrolling 
gradually  as  the  flowers  expand.  Leaves  finely  compound- 
dissected,  a  few  inches  long.  A  straggling,  much  branched 
annual,  more  or  less  hairy  of  leaf  and  stem,  1  to  3  feet  tall, 
blooming  from  March  to  June,  and  common  on  dry  mesas 
and  hills  and  open,  sandy  places,  from  San  Francisco  to  the 
Mexican  border  and  eastward  to  Arizona,  most  common 
toward  the  Coast. 

Very  similar  to  Phacelia  distans,  and  frequently  mistaken 
for  it,  is  P.  tanacetifolia,  Benth.,  the  Tansy-leaved  Phacelia. 
The  flowers  of  the  latter  are  conspicuous  from  their  long-ex- 
serted  stamens,  and  there  is  some  difference  in  the  seed  vessels 
of  the  two  species.  The  layman,  however,  is  quite  content 
to  call  both  Wild  Heliotrope,  and  to  enjoy  the  delicate  sheeted 
color  which  they  sometimes  spread  over  considerable  areas  of 
the  dry,  sunlit  hills.  Among  Spanish-speaking  Americans, 
the  Wild  Heliotrope  is  called  Vervenia  (vair-ven-ee'a),  perhaps 
identical  with  verbcnilla,  a  diminutive  of  Verbena. 


169 


LARGE-FLOWERED  PHACELIA  (Phacelia  grandiflora,  Gray). 
Flowers  saucer-shaped  and  showy,  from  1  to  2  inches  in  diam- 
eter, lavender  or  white,  more  or  less  veined  with  purple,  in 
loose  racemes.  Leaves  ovate  tending  to  heart-shape  at  the 
base,  2  or  3  inches  long,  coarsely  toothed.  A  robust,  coarse 
plant  1  to  3  feet  high,  clothed  with  sticky  hairs,  and  in  con- 
sequence disagreeable  to  handle,  communicating  a  reddish- 
brown  stain  to  whatever  it  touches.  Blooming  in  early 
summer  on  dry  hillsides  of  Southern  California. 

The  genus  Phacelia,  as  at  present  understood,  is  a  very 
numerous  one,  being  a  consolidation  of  some  half-dozen  genera 
that  old-time  botanists  treated  as  separate.  Cf  the  80  or  so 
established  species  all  are  New  World  plants,  and  about  50 
are  indigenous  to  our  Pacific  Slope.  The  name  is  founded 
on  a  Greek  word  meaning  "fascicle  or  cluster,"  an  allusion  to 
the  densely  crowded  flower  spikes  of  the  first  described  species, 
P.  circinata,  Jacq.  f.,  collected  a  century  and  a  quarter  ago 
in  the  Straits  of  Magellan — a  species  common  also  in  Cali- 
fornia, and  remarkable  for  its  extended  ranre. 


170 


WILD  CANTERBURY  BELL  (Phacelia  Whitlavia,  Gray). 
Flowers  blue-purple,  an  inch  long  or  more,  bell-shaped  with 
roundish,  spreading  lobes,  and  long-exserted  stamens,  more  or 
less  pendulous  in  loose  racemes.  Leaves  ovate,  coarsely 
toothed,  hairy.  A  loosely  branching  annual,  somewhat  vis- 
cid, and  with  a  reddish  stem  about  a  foot  high,  blooming  from 
March  till  early  summer  on  dry  hills,  and  in  partially  shaded 
foothill  canons  up  to  about  3,000  feet,  in  Southern  California. 

This  showy  species  is  another  California  wild  flower  that 
has  long  been  cultivated  in  gardens  as  an  ornamental  annual, 
and  is  sometimes  known  as  California  Bluebell,  and  California 
Bell-flower.  The  specific  part  of  the  botanical  name  is  a  sur- 
vival of  the  plant's  original  christening,  which  was  Whitlavia 
grandiflora,  Harvey.  It  was  introduced  into  Europe  more 
than  sixty  years  ago,  and,  it  is  said,  has  in  some  places  there 
established  itself  as  a  wild  flower.  Cultivation  has  developed 
several  varieties — among  which  one  is  a  pure  white,  and  an- 
other white  with  a  blue  centre.  The  plant  is  readily  propa- 
gated from  seeds. 


171 


YEREA  SANTA  (Eriodictyon  glutinbsum,  Eenth.).  Flowers 
lilac,  purple  or  white,  y  inch  across  or  so,  funnel-form,  in  coils  of 
a  terminal  panicle.  Leaves  lanceolate,  dark,  shiny-green 
above,  downy  and  netted-veined  beneath,  thick  and  resinous. 
A  shrub  3  to  7  feet  high,  blooming  May  to  July,  on  dry  foot- 
hills and  lower  mountain  slopes  throughout  California. 

Yerba  Santa  is  Spanish  for  "holy  herb,"  and  attests  the 
value  attached  to  it  by  the  Spanish  settlers  in  California. 
Its  leaves  are  a  famous  remedy  for  colds,  grippe,  consumption 
and  diseases  of  the  blood,  and  are  either  made  into  a  syrup 
with  sugar  or  steeped  in  spirits.  Among  the  Indians  its  use  is 
immemorial.  They  not  only  made  a  tea  of  the  dried  leaves 
for  fevers  and  "general  misery,"  but  to  some  extent  they 
smoked  them  and  chewed  them  like  tobacco.  The  taste  of 
the  leaves  is  bitter  and  resinous  at  first,  but  later  becomes  rather 
pleasant. 

This  species  insensibly  passes  into  another,  E.  tomentosum, 
Benth.,  the  leaves  of  which  are  densely  clothed  with  a  short 
white  wool.  They  possess  a  tonic  property  similar  to  Yerba 
Santa. 


172 


BORAGE  FAMILY 

(Boraginacece) 

Herbs  or  sometimes  shrubs,  chiefly  rough-hairy;  the  gamo- 
petalous  flowers,  as  in  the  Waterleaf  Family,  borne  in  coiled 
clusters  which  straighten  as  the  blossoms  expand.  Style 
usually  single  but  sometimes  2-cleft,  arising  from  a  conspicuous 
4-parted  ovary  becoming  at  maturity  usually  as  many  nutlets. 

FIDDLE  NECK  (Amsinckia  spectdbilis,  F.  &  M.).  Flowers 
yellow  or  orange,  individually  rather  small  but  showy  in  the 
mass,  borne  in  coiled  spikes  or  racemes.  Leaves  alternate, 
narrow,  very  hairy.  A  slender  annual  a  foot  high  or  so,  com- 
mon on  grassy  mesas  and  open  ground  throughout  much  of 
California. 

This  species  is  hard  to  distinguish  from  two  or  three  others 
that  extend  eastward  across  the  deserts  to  Arizona.  They 
often  make  considerable  areas  vivid  with  their  massed  flowers. 
Harsh  as  the  plants  are  to  the  touch,  they  are  much  relished 
by  cattle  and  in  Arizona  they  are  known  by  a  Spanish  term 
sacate  gordo,  which  means  "fat  grass." 

The  resemblance  of  the  flower  stems  with  their  tightly  coiled 
spikes  to  fiddlenecks,  accounts  for  the  common  English  name. 
173 


POPCORN  FLOWER  (Pldgiobdthrys  nothofulvus,  Gray).  Flow- 
ers bright  white,  small,  in  little  fist-like  coiled  clusters  at  the 
summit  of  leafy  stems  a  foot  or  so  high.  A  bristly,  hairy  little 
plant  with  narrow  leaves,  many  of  them  basal,  blooming  from 
February  until  May  in  grassy  places  from  Southern  California 
to  Washington.  The  juice  of  the  plant  imparts  a  noticeable 
stain  to  one's  fingers. 

The  Popcorn  Blower  is  one  of  the  most  familiar  of  Pacific 
Coast  spring  flowers,  and  when  growing  in  masses,  one  of  the 
most  striking  in  its  effect.  So  thickly  does  it  dot  meadows 
and  roadsides  at  times  that  the  sight  suggests  a  sprinkle  of 
snow,  whence  a  pretty  Spanish  name  for  it  and  its  nearly 
related  species — Nievitas  (nee-a-vee'tas),  meaning  "snow- 
flakes."  Its  relationship  to  the  Forget-me-not  of  cultivation 
has  given  rise  to  another  name,  Wild  Forget-me-not. 

The  disagreeable  name  Plagiobothrys  is  made  up  from  two 
Greek  words  meaning  "hollow  at  the  side,"  an  allusion  to  the 
pitted  face  of  the  nutlets  at  the  point  of  attachment. 


174 


MINT  FAMILY 

(Labiate) 

Herbs  or  shrubs,  usually  aromatic,  with  square  stems  and 
opposite  leaves.  Corolla  mostly  2-lipped,  the  upper  lip 
2-lobed,  the  lower  generally  3-lobed.  Stamens  sometimes  2, 
but  typically  4,  two  shorter  than  the  others.  Style  2-cleft, 
rising  from  the  midst  of  the  4-lobed  ovary. 

ROMERO  (Trichostema  lanatum,  Benth.).  Flowers  blue, 
nearly  an  inch  long,  densely  clothed  with  a  violet  wool,  the 
calyces  and  buds  pinkish-purple;  the  stamens  (first  coiled  like 
a  watch  spring  in  the  unopened  corolla  limb)  conspicuously 
long  exserted  with  threadlike  filaments.  Flowers  borne  in 
terminal  interrupted  clusters  on  shrubby  stems  2  to  5  feet 
high.  Leaves  thickish,  narrow,  the  margins  turned  under, 
shiny  above  and  white-woolly  beneath. 

This  showy  shrub  blooms  from  May  to  July  on  dry  hills 
of  Southern  California,  and  from  its  foliage  might  be  mistaken 
for  Rosemary — which  indeed  is  the  meaning  of  its  common 
name  Romero.  It  is  a  valued  medicinal  herb  among  the 
Spanish-Californians,  a  liniment  being  made  of  the  leaves  for 
bruises. 

175 


TURPENTINE  WEED  (Trichostema  lanceolatum,  Benth.). 
Flowers  blue  in  dense,  axillary  clusters,  becoming  a  one-sided 
raceme  in  age;  stamens,  as  in  T.  lanatum,  conspicuously  ex- 
serted  and  curving.  Leaves  crowded,  ashen-gray,  lance- 
shaped  from  a  broad  base  about  an  inch  long,  and  strongly 
3-  to  5-ribbed,  soft-hairy.  A  bushy  annual,  1  to  2  feet  high, 
blooming  from  August  till  October  on  dry  valley  lands  and 
mesas  throughout  California  to  Oregon. 

'J  he  feature  of  Turpentine  Weed  that  identifies  it  most 
readily  is  a  pronounced  odor  of  turpentine,  which  it  exhales. 
To  some  olfactories  there  is  in  the  smell  a  suggestion  of  vinegar, 
whence  the  name  Vinegar-weed  current  in  some  sections.  The 
Indians  made  an  infusion  of  the  leaves  for  a  headache  remedy, 
but  with  them  the  plant's  main  use,  according  to  Mr.  Chesnut, 
was  as  a  fish  poison.  The  leaves  wrere  mashed  in  quantity  and 
thrown  into  pools  or  streams,  the  effect  being  to  stupefy  the 
fish,  which  were  then  easily  dipped  out  by  hand  or  basket. 

The  word  Trichostema  means  "hair-like  stamen,"  and  was 
given  because  of  the  characteristic  slender  filaments.  The 
curling  habit  of  these  accounts  for  the  name,  Blue  Curls,  ap- 
plied generally  to  all  species  of  the  genus. 


176 


YERBA  BUENA  (Micromdna  Dougldsii,  Benth.).  Flowers 
white  or  purplish,  about  j  inch  long,  solitary  on  short  stalks 
in  the  axils  of  the  leaves,  which  are  roundish  or  ovate  and 
about  an  inch  long.  A  low,  creeping  vine  somewhat  hairy, 
the  slender  stems  from  1  to  4  feet  long,  and  the  whole  plant 
pleasantly  aromatic.  Blooming  in  summer  in  woods  of  the 
Coast  Ranges  and  in  damp,  half-shaded  ravines  from  Southern 
California  to  British  Columbia. 

Yerba  Buena  (literally  "good  herb")  is  Spanish  for  the  gar- 
den mint,  but  the  name  was  also  bestowed  by  the  Californians 
upon  this  charming  odoriferous  little  vine,  of  which  they  made 
a  tea.  This  was  used  as  a  beverage,  as  a  febrifuge,  and  as  a 
remedy  for  colic,  the  value  having  been  learned  from  the  In- 
dians. Its  prevalence  at  one  time  on  the  western  borders  of 
San  Francisco  Bay  gave  name  to  the  Spanish  hamlet  that 
came  into  being  there  in  the  latter  part  of  the  18th  century. 
This  settlement  continued  to  be  called  Yerba  Buena  until 
1846,  when  the  name  was  changed  by  the  United  States  au- 
thorities to  San  Francisco.  Such  was  the  flowery  beginning  of 
the  Pacific  Coast  metropolis. 


177 


POLEO  PENNYROYAL  (Monardella  lanceolata,  Gray).  Flow- 
ers rose  or  blue-purple,  individually  small,  but  showy  in  the 
mass  in  crowded  terminal  heads  an  inch  or  so  across,  subtended 
by  purplish  bracts.  Leaves,  few,  narrow  and  tapering  at 
both  ends,  1  to  2  inches  long.  A  branching,  aromatic  annual 
from  6  inches  to  2  feet  high,  blooming  from  June  to  September 
throughout  California,  except  in  the  higher  mountains. 

The  pungent  pennyroyal-like  fragrance  of  this  plant  is  a 
familiar  one  to  the  tramper  upon  the  dry  roads  and  hillsides  of 
summer.  Spanish-Californians  call  it  Poleo,  which  is  Span- 
ish for  pennyroyal,  and  use  its  leaves  both  as  a  household  rem- 
edy and  as  a  substitute  for  tea.  Americans  sometimes  call  it 
Mustang  Mint. 

There  are  several  species  of  Monardella  on  the  Coast,  all 
pleasantly  fragrant.  One  perennial  species,  Monardella  odor- 
atissima,  Benth,  with  pale  foliage  and  dull-white  flowers,  is 
abundant  on  the  dry  slopes  of  the  higher  mountains  of  Cali- 
fornia (Yosemite  region)  northward  to  Washington,  and  east- 
ward to  Nevada  and  Utah.  It  is  commonly  called  Mountain 
Pennyroyal,  and  tea  of  its  leaves  has  some  vogue  among 
mountaineers  as  a  blood  purifier  and  colic  cure. 

178 


PITCHER  SAGE  (Sphacele  calycina,  Ben  h.).  Flowers  dull 
white  or  purplish,  long  bell-shaped  about  an  inch  in  length, 
with  5  roundish  lobes,  one  longer  than  the  others;  the  loose- 
fitting,  prominently  veined,  sharp-toothed  calyx  becoming  in- 
flated in  age;  flowers  in  axillary  pairs,  disposed  in  a  loose,  term- 
inal, leafy  raceme.  Leaves  2  to  4  inches  long,  opposite, 
toothed,  and  wrinkled  like  those  of  the  garden  sage.  A 
shrubby,  branching  plant,  2  to  5  feet  high,  rather  hairy, 
and  exhaling  a  sage-like  odor.  Blooming  in  spring  and  early 
summer  on  dry  hills  of  Central  and  Southern  California. 

This  is  the  only  United  States  species  of  a  genus  that  is 
principally  South  American.  Our  plant,  however,  is  so  vari- 
able as  to  have  given  rise  to  two  or  three  named  varieties,  all 
confined  to  California,  with  distinctions  hardly  marked 
enough  to  interest  the  non-botanical.  The  flower  is  a  fairly 
good  imitation  of  a  miniature  pitcher,  the  prolongation  of  one 
of  the  corolla  lobes  simulating  the  lip  of  a  pitcher,  while  the 
loose  calyx  in  which  the  corolla  sits  may  pass  for  the  basin  that 
5s  a  well-regulated  pitcher's  natural  concomitant. 


170 


WHITE  SAGE  (Audibertia  polystachya,  Benth.).  Flowers 
white  or  lavender,  about  £  inch  long,  with  a  broad,  ruffled 
lower  lip,  the  style  and  the  2  widely  separated  stamens  con- 
spicuously protruding;  disposed  in  an  ample  panicle  a  foot  or 
more  long.  Leaves  lanceolate-ovate,  2  or  3  inches  long,  these 
and  the  stems  silvery  gray  with  minute  woolly  hairs.  A 
shrubby,  aromatic  perennial,  from  3  to  6  feet  tall,  forming 
clumps  and  thickets  on  the  arid  hillsides  of  Southern  Cali- 
fornia, blooming  from  April  till  July. 

The  White  Sage  is  perhaps  the  most  famous  of  bee-plants, 
the  clear,  pale  honey  produced  from  it  being  superfine.  The 
Indians  harvested  the  seed  for  grinding  into  meal,  and  also 
peeled  the  tops  of  the  tender  shoots  for  raw  consumption.  It 
is  one  of  the  numerous  Western  shrubs  called  Greasewood. 
To  the  arranger  of  W7ild-flower  bouquets,  the  White  Sage  is 
invaluable,  as  its  exquisite  gray  makes  a  harmonious  combina- 
tion with  any  color. 

The  genus  Audibertia  (the  name  commemorating  an  old- 
time  Frenchman,  one  Audibert)  is  considered  by  some  botanists 
as  hardly  enough  different  from  Sal  via  to  be  separated  from  it. 
Others  have  discarded  the  name  for  another — Ramona. 


180 


BLACK  SAGE  (AudibSrtia  stachybides,  Benth.).  Flowers 
bluish,  lilac,  or  white,  about  \  inch  long,  deeply  2-lipped,  the 
2  stamens  little  exserted,  calyx  teeth  and  bracts  tipped  with 
bristles;  borne  in  dense  interrupted  whorls,  along  the  slender 
stems.  Leaves  narrowish,  wrinkled,  dark  green,  2  to  3  inches 
long,  with  a  strong,  sage-like  odor.  Plants  shrubby,  3  to  6 
feet  high,  abundant  on  dry  hillsides  of  Central  and  Southern 
California,  blooming  from  April  to  July. 

Black  Sage  is  almost  of  equal  importance  with  its  cousin  the 
White  Sage,  as  bee  pasture.  Entire  sunny  hillsides  of  the  chap- 
arral belt  are  sometimes  covered  with  its  thickets,  which  are 
a-hum  throughout  the  spring  and  early  summer  with  happy, 
winged  harvesters  of  nectar.  It  is  sometimes  called  Ball 
Sage.  Among  the  Indians  the  tiny  seeds  were  collected  by 
being  beaten  with  a  fan  into  a  gathering  basket,  and  made  an 
item  of  value  in  diet,  after  first  being  parched  and  then  ground 
into  a  meal. 

The  specific  name  stackyaides,  applied  to  this  Audibertia, 
means  "resembling  Stachys,"  a  genus  of  the  Mint  family, 
characterized  by  a  similar  form  of  inflorescence  in  separated 
whorls  along  the  stems. 


181 


HOREHOUND  (Marrubium  vulgdre,  L.).  Flowers  small, 
white,  crowded  in  dense  clusters  in  the  axils  of  the  upper 
leaves;  calyx  with  10  short  teeth  turned  back  and  these  and 
the  bracts  becoming  hooked  at  the  tips.  Leaves  gray-green, 
roundish,  with  prominent  veins  and  wrinkles.  Perennial 
herbs  with  square  white-woolly  stems,  in  clumps  a  foot  or  two 
high.  Blooming  from  March  until  July,  along  roadsides  and 
in  the  neighborhood  of  settlements  up  and  down  the  Pacific- 
Coast. 

Horehound  is  not  indigenous  to  the  Pacific  Coast  but  is  so 
sure  to  attract  the  plant  collector's  attention,  that  it  deserves 
mention.  It  probably  came  into  California  with  the  American 
invasion,  and  from  a  root  or  two  planted  in  some  settler's 
garden  for  use  as  a  household  tonic  and  remedy  for  colds,  it 
has  spread  amazingly.  No  introduced  plant  finds  our  Pacific 
Coast  conditions  more  exactly  to  its  liking  than  this.  In  the 
late  summer  and  autumn  when  the  seed  vessels  are  mature, 
the  plant  is  a  good  deal  of  a  nuisance,  as  the  tiny  hooks  on  the 
calyces  attach  themselves  to  one's  clothing,  plastering  it  with 
myriads  of  the  little  nutlets. 


182 


THISTLE  SAGE  (Salvia  carduacea,  Benth.).  Flowers  light 
blue  or  lavender,  showy,  an  inch  long,  the  divisions  more  or 
less  fringed,  the  large  lower  lip  fan-shaped  and  edged  with 
white;  stamens  2,  long  exserted;  flowers  disposed  in  many- 
flowered,  woolly,  globular  head  at  the  summit  of  stout, 
naked  stems  1  to  2  feet  high.  Leaves  gray  green,  spiny- 
toothed  and  thistle-like,  with  cobwebby  wool,  all  basal.  A 
winter  annual,  blooming  from  April  to  June  on  dry  plains  of 
the  interior  valleys  and  in  sandy  washes,  abundant  in  South- 
ern California. 

The  Thistle  Sage  is  an  exquisite  example  of  what  Nature  can 
produce  from  apparently  wasts  material,  for  cften  we  find  it 
springing  from  the  midst  of  the  most  arid  and  unpromising 
of  conditions.  The  California  Indians  in  their  practical  way, 
found  a  use  for  its  seeds,  which  though  small,  are  full  of  nutri- 
tion, and  after  being  ground,  went  into  the  aboriginal  mush  pot. 

The  name  Thistle  Sage  is  simply  the  English  of  the  botanical 
appellation,  and  is  perfectly  descriptive.  Miss  Armstrong 
records  another  common  name,  Persian  Prince,  which  is  more 
romantic  than  obvious. 


183 


CHIA  (Sdlvia  Columbaria,  Benth).  Flowers  small,  blue, 
little  exceeding  the  spiny-toothed  calyx,  in  interrupted  whorls 
subtended  by  purplish,  prickly,  bracts.  Leaves  mostly  basal, 
dull  green,  deeply  cut  into  toothed,  blunt  lobes,  coarsely 
wrinkled.  A  purplish-stemmed  annual,  from  4  inches  to  2 
feet  tall,  common  on  warm,  dry  hills  throughout  California 
and  eastward  to  Nevada  and  Arizona.  Blooming  from  March 
till  May. 

Chia  (chee'd)  is  an  odd-looking  little  plant,  its  flower  heads 
like  bristling  buttons  impaled  on  a  skewer.  The  tiny  seeds, 
rich  in  mucilage  and  oil,  are  famous  as  a  staple  food  of  the 
Pacific  Coast  and  Mexican  Indians  from  very  ancient  times, 
the  plant  having  been  a  cultivated  crop  among  the  latter. 
The  Indian  method  of  harvesting  the  seeds  is  to  beat  the  ma- 
ture heads  with  a  paddle  over  a  flat  basket.  After  winnowing, 
the  seeds  are  parched  over  a  fire  and  ground  into  meal,  which 
may  then  be  boiled  up  in  water  and  eaten  as  a  straight  mush; 
or  it  may  be  mixed  with  wheat  flour,  and  baked  into  cakes. 
A  pleasant  beverage  may  also  be  >  made  from  the  crushed 
parched  seeds  steeped  in  water,  with  the  addition  of  lemon  and 
sugar. 


184 


BLADDER  BUSH  (Salazaria  mexicana,  Torr.).  Flowers  about 
\  inch  long,  the  upper  lobe  white  or  lilac,  the  spreading  lower 
lobe  deep  blue  or  magenta;  in  loose  terminal  racemes.  Calyx 
globular,  enlarging  remarkably  in  age  and  .becoming  like  a 
blown-up  bladder,  |  inch  in  diameter  or  more,  yellowish  or 
pink.  Leaves  grayish,  scattering,  and  small,  the  floral  ones 
reduced  to  little  bracts.  A  shrubby,  twiggy  plant,  2  or  3  feet 
high,  the  slender,  twisting  branches  soft-downy;  blooming 
from  March  till  May  in  the  desert  regions  of  Southern  Califor- 
nia, eastward  to  Nevada,  Utah,  and  Arizona  and  southward 
into  Mexico. 

The  genus  Salazaria  includes,  so  far  as  known,  only  this  one 
species,  which  was  brought  to  light  during  the  work  of  the 
United  States  and  Mexican  Boundary  Survey,  shortly  after 
our  Mexican  War,  about  three-quarters  of  a  century  ago. 
The  showy  flowers — the  more  noticeable  because  of  the  sparse 
foliage — and  the  pinkish  bladdery  calyces  which  succeed  the 
flowers  and  adorn  the  bare  branches  like  so  many  tiny  bal- 
loons or  paper  lanterns,  make  a  striking  sight.  The  name 
Salazaria  was  given  in  honor  of  Don  Jose  Salazar,  the  Mexican 
Commissioner  of  the  survey. 


185 


GIANT  HYSSOP  (Lophdnthus  tirticifolius,  Benth.).  Flowers 
white  or  violet,  the  upper  lip  erect,  the  lower  spreading,  calyx 
with  lavender  teeth,  the  exserted  stamens  (4)  with  lavender 
anthers  and  white  filaments;  -borne  in  crowded  terminal  spikes 
sometimes  6  inches  long.  Leaves  1  to  3  inches  long,  sweetish- 
aromatic,  toothed,  and  nettle-like  in  look.  An  erect,  coarse- 
looking,  perennial  herb,  3  to  5  feet  high,  blooming  in  summer, 
and  abundant  in  mountain  meadows  usually  at  moderate 
altitudes  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  in  California,  northward  to 
Oregon  and  eastward  to  Nevada  and  Colorado. 

Visitors  in  the  Yosemite  region  cannot  fail  to  notice  the  deli- 
cate color  often  given  to  meadow  borders  by  the  plantations  of 
the  Giant  Hyssop.  Its  common  name  is  an  echo,  I  take  it,  of 
the  plant's  association  by  older  botanists  with  the  genus 
Hyssopus,  the  leaves  of  which,  under  the  name  of  Garden 
Hyssop,  are  still  used  medicinally  by  old-fashioned  herbalists. 
It  should  not  be  confused  with  the  Hyssop  of  Scripture,  whose 
identity  seems  to  be  unsettled. 

By  some  botanists  the  name  Lophanthus  has  been  discarded 
for  Agastache,  and  by  these  our  plant  is  listed  as  Agdstache 
urticifolia,  O.  Ktz. 

186 


NIGHTSHADE  FAMILY 

(Solanacea) 

Herbs,  shrubs  or  occasionally  trees,  usually  rank-seen  I  eel, 
with  alternate  leaves,  no  stipules  and  gamopetalous  flowers 
usually  5-parted,  stamens  as  many  as  the  corolla  lobes  and 
inserted  on  the  tube. 

ToScACHE  (Datura  metelbides,  DC.).  Flowers  fragrant, 
white,  often  tinged  with  violet,  trumpet-shaped,  6  to  9  inches 
long  and  sometimes  6*  inches  across  when  fully  expanded; 
calyx  tubular,  some  3  inches  long,  tipped  with  sharp  teeth. 
Leaves  dark  green,  coarse.  A  striking  plant,  1  to  3  feet  high, 
forming  a  clump,  the  showy  flowers  wilting  after  noon;  bloom- 
ing from  May  until  October,throughout  Southern  California, 
east  to  Nevada,  Utah,  Arizona,  and  Texas,  and  into  Mexico. 

Toluache  (to'loo-ah'cha)  is  the  Indian  name  for  this  hand- 
some Datura,  which  has  played  a  notable  part  in  aboriginal 
life  because  of  its  virulent,  narcotic  properties.  An  infusion 
of  the  leaves  or  root  has  the  effect  of  producing  hallucinations, 
stupefaction  or  frenzy,  and  it  formerly  was  employed  by  medi- 
cine men  in  ceremonial  rites.  Its  resemblance  to  the  Eastern 
Jimson-weed  (introduced  about  dwellings)  is  considerable. 
187 


BLACK  NIGHTSHADE  (Soldnum  nigrum,  L.).  Flowers  white, 
little  more  than  |  inch  across,  wheel-shaped,  the  anthers 
connivent  like  a  yellow  cone  about  the  styles;  borne  in  umbel- 
like,  lateral  clusters.  Leaves  dull  green,  ovate  with  a  wedge- 
shaped  base,  1  to  3  inches  long.  Fruit  a  pea-like  berry  becom- 
ing black  when  ripe.  A  much  branched,  spreading  annual, 

2  or  3  feet  high,  frequent  everywhere,  blooming  at  all  seasons 
— &  plant  of  cosmopolitan  distribution. 

On  the  Pacific  Coast,  the  Black  Nightshade  is  a  common 
wayside  plant  of  rather  unsavory  reputation,  its  berries  and 
leaves  being  generally  considered  poisonous  if  eaten.  The 
green  fruit  probably  is  so,  but  the  fully  ripe  berries  have  been 
an  article  of  diet  with  the  Indians  who  appear  to  survive  after- 
ward. A  nearly  related  species,  apparently  indigenous  to 
California  and  Arizona,  is  Solarium  Douglasii,  Dunal,  with 
rather  larger  white  or  violet  flowers  and  often  woody  stems 

3  to  5  or  even  10  feet  high.     The  juice  of  the  berries  was  used 
by  the  San  Diego  Indians  for  inflamed  eyes  and  for  tattooing. 


188 


VIOLET  NIGHTSHADE  (Solatium  Xanti,  Gray).  Flowers 
saucer-shaped,  about  an  inch  across,  deep  violet,  with  white- 
encircled  green  spots  in  the  centre,  and  a  cone  of  yellow  an- 
thers clasping  the  style;  borne  in  lateral  or  terminal  umbel- 
like  clusters.  Fruit  a  green  or  purplish  berry  about  the  size  of 
a  cherry.  Leaves  ovate,  thinnish,  an  inch  or  two  long,  occa- 
sionally lobed  at  the  base.  A  handsome  perennial,  shrubby  at 
the  base,  2  to  o  feet  high,  more  or  less  clothed  with  sticky 
hairs.  Blooming  from  April  till  June  throughout  California 
and  into  Nevada. 

An  examination  of  the  hairs  upon  Solanum  Xanti  shows 
them  to  be  jointed,  a  characteristic  of  importance  to  dis- 
tinguish it  from  a  nearly  similar  species  S.  umbelliferum,  Esch., 
which  is  more  woody  and  hoary  with  a  pubescence  of  hairs 
that  are  not  jointed  but  branched.  S.  Xanti  by  its  queer 
specific  name  commemorates,  in  rather  cryptic  fashion,  Mr. 
L.  J.  Xantus  de  Vesey  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution,  who 
visited  California  about  60  years  ago,  and  was  one  of  the  first 
collectors  of  this  species.  On  Santa  Catalina  island  a  robust 
variety — WaHacei — is  found  with  flowers  1|  inches  in  diameter. 


TREE  TOBACCO  (Nicotidna  glauca,  Graham).  Flowers 
greenish-yellow,  tubular,  l£  to  2  inches  long,  in  loose  panicles 
at  the  ends  of  branches.  Leaves  ample,  ovate,  bluish-green, 
very  smooth  with  a  "bloom."  A  straggling  shrub  or  small 
tree  from  6  to  20  feet  high,  sometimes  forming  thickets,  abund- 
ant throughout  Southern  California  in  valleys  and  waste  land 
eastward  to  Arizona  and  down  into  Mexico;  blooming  through- 
out much  of  the  year. 

The  Tree  Tobacco  is  a  native  of  the  Argentine,  and  found 
its  way  into  the  Pacific  United  States  half  a  century  ago  no- 
body knows  just  how.  Its  dust-like  seeds,  borne  on  the 
wind,  enable  it  to  find  a  foothold  in  some  surprising  places,  as 
high  up  on  old  Mission  walls,  or  on  mossy  roofs.  It  is  a  real 
tobacco,  as  the  botanic  name  indicates,  and  its  dried  leaves 
are  sometimes  used  by  the  impecunious  for  smoking.  By 
Mexicans  it  is  called  tobaco,  or  sometimes  Buena  moza,  which 
means  "a  fine  girl,"  a  compliment  to  the  unpretentious 
beauty  of  what  most  Americans  consider  a  tree-weed.  In 
Arizona  it  has  been  called  San  Juan  Tree,  for  a  reason  not  ap- 
parent. 


190 


FIGWORT  FAMILY 

(Scrophulariaceoe) 

Herbs  or  shrubs  with  a  2-lipped  corolla  (sometimes  ob- 
scurely so) ;  stamens  2  or  4  (2  long  and  2  short)  or  sometimes 
J5  with  one  sterile;  style  one,  undivided. 

|  CALIFORNIA  BEE  PLANT  (Scrophularia  calif ornica,  Cham.). 
Flowers  dull  red  or  greenish,  |  to  5  inch  long,  in  a  terminal 
•panicle;  stamens  4  in  2  pairs,  with  a  rudimentary  fifth  stamen 
in  the  shape  of  a  scale  on  the  corolla  throat.  The  upper  lip  of 
.the  globular  corolla  is  4  lobed  and  erect,  the  lower  lip  consist- 
ing of  one  lobe  which  is  extended  outward.  Leaves  opposite, 
i  ovate  or  triangular,  2  or  3  inches  long,  coarsely  toothed. 
Blooming  May  until  August  (sometimes  in  midwinter),  in 
.rather  moist  ground  throughout  much  of  California  at  low  or 
{moderate  altitudes,  and  eastward  to  Nevada — a  coarse, 
branching  plant  with  square  stems,  from  2  to  6  feet  high. 

The  smallness  of  the  flowers  of  the  California  Bee  Plant 
jmay  cause  it  to  be  overlooked  entirely,  but  if  noticed  at  all, 
fthey  are  sure  to  delight — alert  little  flowers  with  a  grotesque, 
Ignomelike  sort  of  character  that  appeals  to  the  imagination. 
As  the  name  indicates  they  are  famous  honey  producers. 
191 


BIRD-BEAK  (Cordyldnthus  filifolius,  Nutt.).  Flowers  green- 
ish yellow  or  purplish,  \  to  f  inch  long,  nearly  hidden  within 
the  green  calyx,  corolla  2-lipped,  the  upper  lip  enclosing  stam- 
ens and  style;  borne  in  many-flowered,  terminal  heads.  Leaves 
alternate,  divided  into  3  to  5  threadlike  divisions,  the  floral 
leaves  and  bracts  more  or  less  bristly  on  the  margins  and  gen- 
erally marked  at  the  tip  with  a  depressed  gland  or  callosity. 
A  loosely  branched  annual,  roughish-hairy  and  often  some- 
what sticky  below,  1  to  3  feet  high,  blooming  from  June  to 
September  in  the  hills  throughout  most  of  California. 

The  curious  tip  of  the  corolla,  somewhat  suggesting  a  bird's 
beak,  is  responsible  for  the  common  name  of  this  species,  whose 
grayish-green  little  bushes  are  often  noticeably  massed  along 
mountain  roadsides  and  in  dry  glades.  The  San  Diego  In- 
dians found  the  plant  medicinally  serviceable  as  an  emetic, 
according  to  the  late  Mr.  P.  S.  Sparkman. 

There  are  several  species  of  Cordylanthus,  all  Far  Western. 
In  the  Yosemite  region,  C.  tennis,  Gray,  is  rather  abundant,  a 
slender  annual,  distinguished  by  very  narrow  leaves  \  to  1  inch 
long  without  divisions. 


192 


CHINESE  HOUSES  (Collinsia  blcolor,  Benth.).  Flowers 
shaped  somewhat  like  pea-blossoms,  with  a  violet  or  rose- 
purple  (sometimes  white)  lower  lip,  the  upper  lip  white  or 
lilac;  disposed  in  a  series  of  umbeled  whorls,  more  or  less  one- 
sided, along  the  upper  part  of  the  stem.  Leaves  opposite 
without  footstalks.  A  charming  annual,  1  to  2  feet  high,  in 
moist  ground  throughout  Western  California  from  San  Diego 
northward,  blooming  from  April  till  June,  often  cultivated. 

Collinsia  is  a  North  American  genus  which  preserves  in  its 
name  the  memory  of  an  excellent  botanist  of  a  century  ago, 
Zaccheus  Collins  of  Philadelphia.  There  are  about  15  species, 
but  none  more  lovely  than  C.  bicolor  ("the  two-colored"), 
which  is  sometimes  known  as  Innocence,  a  name  as  suggestive 
of  the  flower's  spiritual  quality,  as  is  Chinese  Houses  of  its 
outward  make-up. 

There  is  a  closely  allied  species,  Collinsia  tinctoria,  Hartweg, 
found  in  the  Yosemite  region,  and  characterized  by  a  sticky 
brown  or  yellowish  hairiness,  which  stains  one's  fingers.  The 
flowers  of  this  species  have  a  yellowish  throat  with  purple  dots. 


193 


COULTER'S  SNAPDRAGON  (Antirrhinum  Coulteridnum, 
Benth).  Flowers  white,  tinged  with  purple,  the  lower  lip 
with  its  large  palate  forming  most  of  the  corolla,  borne  in  a 
close  spike  2  to  10  inches  long.  Leaves  linear  or  oval,  distant 
from  one  another.  A  stout,  erect  annual,  2  to  4  feet  high, 
hairy  above,  and  remarkable  for  producing  from  the  leaf  axils 
and  the  lower  part  of  the  flower  spikes,  long,  threadlike,  twist- 
ing branchlets  which  curl  about  adjacent  shrubbery  and  by 
which  the  plant  is  disposed  to  climb.  Blooming  from  May  to 
July,  on  dry  hillsides  throughout  Southern  California. 

This  interesting  plant  is  another  to  commemorate  in  its 
specific  name  that  botanical  pioneer  of  the  Pacific  Coast, 
Dr.  Thomas  Coulter.  A  slender  branched  variety,  with 
purple  flowers  scattered  along  the  stems,  and  the  twisting 
branchlets  often  springing  from  the  base  of  the  flowers,  has 
been  considered  worthy  of  specific  distinction  and  is  called 
Antirrhinum  vagans,  Gray — "the  wandering" — an  allusion 
to  the  branchlets  twisting  about  for  a  support  to  grasp.  It  is 
common  throughout  Western  California. 


194 


INDIAN  PAINT  BRUSH  (Castilleia  foliolosa,  H.  &  A.).  Flow- 
ers red,  f  inch  long,  tubular  with  a  beak-like  upper  lip  enclos- 
ing the  style  and  4  stamens,  the  corolla  all  but  hidden  within 
the  bright  red  calyx;  borne  in  terminal  spikes  with  bright  red 
3-lobed  bracts,  the  whole  effect  being  that  of  a  brush  dipped 
in  red  paint.  Leaves  narrow,  an  inch  long  or  so,  crowded  be- 
low and  fascicled  in  the  axils,  these  and  the  stems  densely 
white  woolly.  A  perennial  with  bunched,  somewhat  woody 
stems,  a  foot  or  two  high,  common  on  dry  hills  of  Western 
California  from  San  Diego  northward;  blooming  March  till 
July  and  sparingly  at  other  seasons. 

There  are  numerous  Pacific  Coast  species  of  Indian  Paint- 
brush, all  easily  recognized  generically  (the  color  sometimes 
varying  to  yellowish  or  white)  though  the  specific  differences 
are  sometimes  troublesome  to  the  amateur.  An  interesting 
characteristic  of  the  genus  Castilleia  (the  name,  by  the  way, 
commemorates  the  Spanish  botanist,  Castillejo)  is  the  presence 
of  suckers  upon  the  roots,  by  means  of  which  sustenance  is 
extracted  from  the  root  systems  of  other  plants — an  instance 
of  partial  parasitLm. 


195 


INDIAN  WARRIOR  (Pedicularis  densiflora,  Benth.).  Flow- 
ers crimson  (occasionally  white)  an  inch  long  or  so,  2-lipped, 
the  upper  much  the  more  conspicuous,  compressed  at  the  sides 
and  arched  above;  borne  in  dense  terminal  spikes,  becoming 
larger  and  looser  in  age,  mingled  with  purplish  bracts.  Leaves 
finely  dissected,  feather-like,  many  basal;  dark  red  wrhen 
young,  becoming  green  in  age.  A  stout  perennial,  common 
in  open'  hillside  forest  from  Central  California  to  Oregon, 
blooming  in  the  spring. 

According  to  Mr.  Chesnut  the  Yuki  Indian  name  for  this 
Pedicularis  is  the  same  as  their  word  for  Yellow-hammer — 
wai-mok' — a  bird  that  frequents  the  flowers  for  their  abundant 
nectar.  Children,  too,  have  discovered  the  plant's  sweet  secret 
and  such  the  blooms  as  they  do  honeysuckle  blossoms. 

In  meadows  of  the  Yosemite  region  and  the  High  Sierra 
two  kindred  species  are  met  with — Pedicularis  attollens,  Gray, 
and  P.  groenlandica,  Retz.,  in  which  the  pinkish,  hooded, 
upper  lip  ends  in  a  curved  or  abruptly  upturned  beak.  The 
resemblance  to  an  elephant's  head  and  trunk  has  suggested 
the  common  name  Elephant-heads  for  both  these  species. 
The  likeness  is  more  noticeable  in  P.  groenlandica. 

196 


OWL'S  CLOVER  (Orihocdrpus  purpurdscens,  Benth.).  Flow- 
ers 2  lipped,  the  narrow,  straight,  upper  lip  crimson,  the  lower 
inflated,  in  the  form  of  a  sac,  creamy  white  at  the  centre 
deepening  outwardly  to  magenta;  disposed  in  dense  spikes 
with  bracts,  these  and  the  calyx  lobes  with  purplish  tips. 
Leaves  divided  into  many  thread-like  lobes.  An  erect,  hairy 
annual,  common  throughout  California,  blooming  from  March 
to  May  in  grasslands  and  on  hillsides,  often  tinging  the  land- 
scape for  considerable  distances  with  a  purple  bluish. 

The  general  appearance  of  Owl's  Clover  simulates  a  Castil- 
leia  of  dull  color.  For  this  reason  the  name  Pink  Paint-brush 
is  sometimes  applied  to  it — unfortunately,  as  the  practice 
tends  to  confuse  two  quite  separate  genera.  Why  it  should  be 
called  Owl's  Clover  is  not  obvious.  Perhaps,  it  is  because,  as 
Miss  Armstrong  suggests,  the  quaint  flower-faces  of  some 
species  are  of  owlish  look.  The  Spanish-Californian's  name  is 
Escobita,  meaning  "little  broom,"  which  is  really  descriptive. 

There  are  numerous  species  of  Orthocarpus,  some  with 
spikes  that  are  white,  and  some  that  are  yellowish.  One  of 
the  latter,  0.  lithospermoides,  Benth.,  has  been  graphically 
called  Coyote-tail  by  Northern  California  Indian  children. 


197 


BUTTER  AND  EGGS  (Orthocdrpus  eridnthus,  Benth.).  Flow- 
ers about  an  inch  long,  2-lipped;  the  slender,  straight  upper 
lip  (which  is  slightly  hooked  at  the  tip)  brownish-purple;  the 
lower  lip  inflated  in  the  form  of  3  conspicuous  puffed-up  sacs 
which  are  deep  sulphur  yellow;  the  slender  tube  of  the  flower 
white,  and  thrice  the  length  of  the  calyx;  borne  in  a  many- 
flowered,  rather  dense  spike  with  pinnately  divided  bracts 
that  are  more  or  less  purplish.  Leaves  pinnately  parted 
above  a  broad  base  into  thread-like  divisions.  A  slender 
much-branched  annual  with  reddish  stems,  4  to  10  inches  tall, 
blooming  in  the  spring,  from  Central  California  northward  to 
Oregon,  common  on  low  grounds  near  the  Coast. 

People  who  object  to  the  prosy  name  of  Butter-and-eggs 
for  this  pretty  flower  (suggested  by  the  mixture  of  white  and 
yellow  in  its  composition)  may  prefer  Johnny  Tuck,  another 
popular  appellative.  The  elfin  look  of  the  blossoms  of  the 
more  showy  species  of  Orthocarpus  seems  to  challenge  the 
fancy  to  provide  them  with  affectionate  nick-names. 


198 


SCARLET  MONKEY  FLOWER  (Mimulus  cardindlis,  Dougl.). 
Flowers  scarlet,  about  2  inches  long,  corolla  2-lipped,  upper 
lip  erect,  its  lobe  and  the  lower  lip  turned  back;  stamens  (4) 
long  exserted;  flowers  borne  on  upright  peduncles  about  3  inches 
long,  from  the  axils  of  the  upper  leaves.  Leaves  ovate  or 
lanceolate,  opposite,  without  footstalks.  A  stout,  branching 
perennial  herb,  hairy  and  sticky,  2  to  4  feet  high,  blooming 
from  June  to  October,  in  swampy  ground  or  along  watercourses 
throughout  California  and  Oregon,  and  eastward  to  Arizona. 

The  Scarlet  Monkey  Flower  was  one  of  the  discoveries  of 
David  Douglas,  who  in  the  1830's  sent  the  seeds  to  England 
from  the  Pacific  Coast.  The  splendid  flowers  proved  a  note- 
worthy novelty  to  florists,  as  no  Mimulus  of  just  this  color 
had  been  known  until  that  time.  It  has  continued  to  be  a 
favorite  in  cultivation.  In  its  native  haunts,  it  is  one  of  the 
most  striking  of  wild  flowers,  and  visitors  to  the  Yosemite 
Valley,  as  well  as  the  Grand  Canon  of  Arizona,  are  pretty 
sure  to  be  greeted  with  a  sight  of  it — its  unrivaled  flowers  glow- 
ing brightly  against  the  green  background  of  the  stream- 
banks  and  denagas  where  it  delights  to  dwell. 


199 


YELLOW  MONKEY  FLOWER  (Mimulus  luteus,  L.).  Flowers 
bright  yellow,  often  dark-dotted  within,  corolla  2-lipped,  an 
inch  or  two  long,  the  prominent  base  of  the  lower  lip  often 
blotched  with  brown;  borne  in  a  loose,  terminal  raceme. 
Leaves  opposite,  roundish,  sharp-toothed,  an  inch  long  or  so, 
the  upper  closely  sessile.  A  small,  leafy  plant  of  very  variable 
habit,  annual  or  perennial,  from  less  than  a  foot  to  sometimes 
4  feet  high,  spreading  by  slender,  creeping  stems.  Blooming 
from  April  till  August  in  wet  places  and  on  stream  banks 
throughout  California  northward  to  Alaska,  and  eastward  to 
the  Rocky  Mountains. 

There  are  many  yellow  flowered  species  of  Monkey  Flower, 
but  the  frequency  of  Mimulus  luteus  over  a  wide  territory  of 
the  Pacific  Coast,  seems  to  entitle  it  to  being  called  the  Yel- 
low Monkey  Flower.  A  common  yellow  species  of  Southern 
California,  blooming  from  April  to  June  upon  dryish  hillsides, 
is  Mimulus  brevipes,  Benth. — a  sticky-hairy  little  annual  a  foot 
or  two  high,  with  narrow,  opposite  leaves.  The  flowers  are 
borne  on  very  short  footstalks. 


200 


STICKY  MONKEY  FLOWER  (Mimulus  glutinosus,  Wendl.). 
Flowers  showy,  usually  buff  or  salmon-color,  sometimes  reddish 
or  even  crimson,  funnel-form  with  spreading  lobes  ragged 
edged,  and  somewhat  suggesting  azaleas,  borne  on  short  foot- 
stalks in  the  leaf  axils.  Leaves  narrow,  opposite,  1  to  4  inches 
long,  evergreen  and  glutinous.  A  shrub  2  to  6  feet  high. 
Common  throughout  California  from  San  Francisco  southward 
on  hills  and  rocky  banks,  blooming  from  April  till  July  and 
sparingly  at  other  seasons. 

The  shrubby  character  of  this  Mimulus  puts  it  in  a  class  to 
itself  as  other  species  of  this  large  and  interesting  genus  are 
herbaceous.  On  this  account,  mainly,  it  has  been  given  gen- 
eric distinction  by  some  botanists  as  Diplacus  glutinosus.  It 
runs  into  many  varieties,  one  of  which,  var.  linearis,  is  marked 
by  exceedingly  narrow,  rather  stiff  leaves,  and  flowers  of  a 
rich  crimson,  though  oddly  enough  one  may  find  sometimes 
on  the  same  plant  the  buff  blossoms  of  the  type.  The  Sticky 
Monkey  Flower  is  very  ornamental  and  is  one  of  several  species 
that  have  been  introduced  into  cultivation.  It  has  a  place  in 
some  conservatories. 


201 


CRIMSON  MONKEY  FLOWER  (Mimulus  Bigelbvii,  Gray). 
Flowers  about  an  inch  long,  crimson,  with  a  yellow  centre, 
corolla  funnel-form,  the  cylindrical  tube'  expanded  into  a 
wheel-shaped  limb  about  ^  inch  in  diameter;  disposed  mostly 
in  a  terminal  cluster.  Leaves  opposite,  oblong,  or  ovate 
nearly  an  inch  long.  A  sticky-hairy  annual,  3  or  4  inches  tall, 
of  sandy  places,  Southern  California  and  eastward  in  the 
desert  to  Nevada  and  Utah,  blooming  in  the  spring. 

This  charming  little  plant  was  first  collected  by  Dr.  John 
M.  Bigelow,  botanist  of  the  Whipple  Pacific  R.  R.  Survey. 
It  was  given  its  specific  name  in  honor  of  him,  but  assigned  to 
the  genus  Eunanus.  This  genus,  however,  is  now  generally 
disregarded  and  its  dozen  or  so  species  are  considered  as  a  sec- 
tion of  Mimulus.  All  are  beautiful  little  annuals  of  California 
and  adjacent  territory,  the  corollas  purple,  crimson,  or  occa- 
sionally yellow,  mostly  with  a  rather  slender  tube,  and  the 
anthers  of  the  4  stamens  set  closely  together  so  as  to  form 
crosses. 

Mimulus  Douglasii,  Gray,  is  a  species  frequently  met  with 
throughout  California  on  gravelly  banks.     Its  crimson  flow- 
ers have  a  narrow  tube  an  inch  or  more  long,  in  the  early  state 
much  longer  than  the  plant  is  high. 
202 


MUSK  (Mimulus  moschatus,  Dougl.).  Flowers  light  yellow, 
brownish  in  the  throat,  2-lipped,  £  inch  to  an  inch  long,  much 
exceeding  the  calyx;  usually  borne  in  pairs  on  slender  foot- 
stalks from  the  upper  leaf-axils.  Leaves  light  green,  opposite, 
ovate,  an  inch  or  two  long,  the  basal  crowded.  A  white-hairy, 
sticky,  often  slimy  plant,  musk-scented,  ^  to  1|  feet  high, 
spreading  by  creeping  perennial  rootstalks;  common  in  damp, 
shady  places,  particularly  along  brooks  from  California  to 
British  Columbia  and  eastward  to  Utah.  Blooming  in  spring 
and  summer.  In  California  and  Oregon  the  form  usually 
found  is  var.  longiflorus,  distinguished  by  the  elongated  cor- 
olla, often  an  inch  long,  3  times  the  length  of  the  calyx,  and 
flower  stalks  exceeding  the  leaves. 

This  is  the  well-known  Musk  plant  of  old-fashioned  gardens, 
collected  by  David  Douglas  in  Oregon  in  1826,  and  by  him  in- 
troduced to  the  world. 

An  interesting  feature  of  the  various  species  of  Mimulus  is 
the  pistil.  The  stigma  is  composed  of  twro  flat  plates,  spread 
apart  when  the  flower  is  mature.  These  are  sensitive  and 
close  when  touched,  as  on  the  visit  of  an  insect,  and  are  sup- 
posed to  play  a  part  in  cross-fertilization. 


203 


BLUE  BEARD-TONGUE  (Penstemon  spectdbilis,  Thurber.) 
Flowers  very  showy,  funnel-form,  somewhat  inflated  at  the 
throat,  and  somewhat  2-lipped,  an  inch  long,  rose-purple  or 
lilac,  the  corolla  limb  blue  or  violet;  on  slender  footstalks  dis- 
posed in  loose,  leafless,  terminal,  pyramidal  panicles  sometimes 
3  feet  long.  Leaves  opposite,  pale  green,  ovate,  rather  leath- 
ery, with  spiny  teeth,  the  upper  pairs  joined  at  their  broad 
bases  and  clasping  the  stem  as  though  pierced  by  it.  A 
stately,  handsome,  herbaceous  perennial,  from  3  to  6  feet  high 
and  sometimes  even  taller,  found  on  dry  hillsides  and  plains 
of  Southern  California,  thence  eastward  to  Arizona  and  New 
Mexico;  blooming  from  March  till  June. 

The  genus  Penstemon  is  a  very  large  one  of  North  America 
and  Mexico,  and  is  represented  on  the  Pacific  Coast  and  con- 
tiguous territory  by  at  least  50  species  and  recognized  varieties, 
many  of  them  with  flowers  of  great  beauty,  which  have  been 
introduced  into  gardens.  A  characteristic  of  the  flowers  is 
that  of  the  5  stamens  only  4  are  provided  with  anthers,  the 
fifth  being  sterile  but  with  a  conspicuous  filament.  This  in 
some  cases  is  bearded,  whence  the  common  name,  Beard 
tongue,  though  it  is  probably  less  used  in  popular  speech  than 
the  botanical  name. 

204 


VIOLET  BEARD-TONGUE  (Penstemon  heterophyllus,  Lindl.). 
Flowers  funnel-formed,  somewhat  inflated  on  one  side,  2-lipped 
an  inch  long  or  more,  rose-pink  sometimes  changing  to  or  suf- 
fused with  violet,  the  buds  frequently  yellowish;  disposed  in  a 
narrow  bracted  panicle  terminal  on  the  stems  and  branches. 
Leaves  opposite,  very  narrow  or  lance-shaped.  A  slender, 
many-stemmed,  smooth  perennial,  2  to  5  feet  high,  woody  at 
the  base;  common  along  roadsides  and  on  dry  hillsides  of  Cen- 
tral and  Southern  California,  blooming  in  the  spring  and  early 
summer. 

The  specific  name  heterophyllus  given  to  this  beautiful 
species  means  "having  different  kinds  of  leaves  on  the  same 
plant." 

Another  species  Penstemon  aziireus,  Benth.,  is  very  like  it 
and  found  in  similar  situations,  though  commoner  northward. 
It  may  be  known  by  its  rather  large  flowers — an  inch  across — 
of  azure  blue,  and  the  glaucous  character  of  the  foliage.  It 
is  very  variable,  however,  the  variety  angustissimus,  with 
very  narrow  leaves,  being  found  in  the  Yosemite  Valley.  In 
both  species  the  anthers  are  an  interesting  sight  under  a  glass, 
resembling  minute  horseshoes,  fringed  along  the  edges. 


205 


YELLOW  BEARD-TONGUE  (Penstemon  antirrhinbides,  Benth.). 
Flowers  lemon-yellow,  showy,  the  corolla  2-lipped,  arched 
above  and  widely  gaping,  an  inch  long  or  less,  the  one  sterile 
stamen  densely  bearded  on  one  side;  on  short  one-flowered 
footstalks  in  leafy  panicles.  Leaves  scarcely  half  an  inch 
long,  narrowly  oval.  A  much- branched,  shrubby  perennial 
3  to  5  feet  high,  blooming  in  spring  on  dry  hillsides  of  Southern 
California. 

The  specific  name  of  this  Penstemon  means  "like  an  Antirr- 
hinum," the  Snapdragon,  the  large-lipped  corolla  with  its 
swelling  throat  suggesting  a  resemblance,  less  apparent  I 
think,  to  the  collector  in  the  field  than  it  seems  to  have  been 
to  the  describer  in  his  armchair  in  England. 

Another  Penstemon,  with  yellowish  flowers  in  shape  sug- 
gesting those  of  the  Yellow  Beard-Tongue  is  P.  breviflorus, 
Lindl.,  which  occurs  in  rocky  places  of  the  Yosemite  region 
and  along  the  flanks  of  the  Sierra  Nevada.  The  yellowish 
corolla  is  tinged  with  flesh  color,  striped  inside  with  pink,  the 
arched  upper  lip  hairy,  but  the  sterile  filament  is  without 
beard.  Doctor  Hall  states  that  the  tough  stems  of  this  species 
are  used  by  the  Indians  in  the  making  of  storage  baskets. 

20fi 


SCARLET  BUGLER  (Penstemon  centranthifolius,  Benth.). 
Flowers  bright  scarlet,  tubular,  an  inch  long  or  more,  borne  in 
showy,  narrow  panicles  a  foot  or  even  2  feet  long.  Leaves 
opposite,  thick,  and  mostly  without  footstalks,  the  upper  clasp- 
ing the  stem  by  their  heart-shaped  bases.  A  stout,  smooth 
perennial,  2  to  4  feet  high,  stems  and  bluish-green  foliage  cov- 
ered with  a  dense  "bloom."  Common  in  open  ground,  on 
dry  hillsides  and  on  mountain  slopes  from  Monterey  southward 
in  California  and  eastward  to  Arizona,  flowering  from  Febru- 
ary till  June. 

The  slender  flowers  of  the  Scarlet  Bugler  suggest  the  trum- 
pets of  the  Coral  Honeysuckle,  and  tempt  people  with  limited 
botanical  knowledge  to  call  them  honeysuckle.  They  make  a 
blaze  of  color  in  the  mountains  in  spring  and  early  summer, 
and  few  flowers  are  better  known.  Bees  are  their  persistent 
visitors,  and  also  humming  birds — whence  another  common 
name  sometimes  heard,  Humming-bird's  Dinner  Horn.  In 
the  Sierra  Nevada,  including  the  Yosemite  region,  another 
scarlet-flowered  species  somewhat  resembling  this  is  found — 
Penstemon  Bridgesii,  Gray.  The  corolla  of  this  is  distinctly 
"2-lipped,  and  the  plant  is  not  glaucous. 


207 


SCARLET  HONEYSUCKLE  (Penstemon  cordifolius,  Benth.). 
Flowers  scarlet,  the  narrow,  tubular  corolla  about  1|  inches 
long,  2-lipped,  the  upper  lip  erect,  the  stamens  and  pistil  con- 
spicuous in  the  extended  lower  lip;  flowers  borne  in  short, 
leafy,  terminal  panicles.  Leaves  roundish,  heart-shaped, 
toothed,  an  inch  long  or  so,  dark  green  and  of  somewhat  leath- 
ery texture.  A  vine-like  perennial,  rather  woody,  6  or  8  feet 
high,  clambering  over  shrubs  in  Southern  California;  blooming 
from  May  to  July. 

It  is  a  -misnomer  to  call  this  Penstemon  honeysuckle,  which 
is  of  quite  another  family,  but  the  general  look  of  the  flower 
and  the  habit  of  the  plant  lend  color  to  the  popular  name. 
The  aspect  of  the  foliage,  however,  is  more  suggestive  of  the 
cultivated  Fuchsia  than  of  Honeysuckle.  It  is  a  frequent 
plant  in  the  chaparral  belt  of  southern  California  mountains 
and  its  showy  flowers,  nodding  from  the  tips  of  the  gracefully 
drooping  branches,  are  a  familiar  sight  to  travelers  over  the 
hill  trails. 

A  species  that  somewhat  resembles  this  is  Penstemon  ternatus, 
Torr.,  growing  in  similar  situations.  The  wand-like  flowering 
shoots  of  this  are  glaucous,  and  the  stiff,  narrow  leaves  are 
whorled  in  3's  above. 


MULLEIN  (Verbdscum  virgatum,  Withering).  Flowers  yel- 
low, corolla  flat,  wheel-shaped  with  hardly  any  tube,  stamens 
5,  all  perfect,  bearded  with  violet  woolly  hairs;  borne  in  a 
slender  terminal  raceme,  the  short  footstalks  usually  in  2's 
and  3's.  Leaves  oblong,  somewhat  toothed,  without  foot- 
stalks, alternate.  A  slender,  erect,  somewhat  sticky-hairy 
plant,  4  to  6  feet  high,  blooming  in  summer  in  valley-lands 
and  along  roads  in  California. 

This  so  closely  resembles  the  common  Moth-mullein  which 
is  a  weed  in  Eastern  fields,  that  it  might  be  mistaken  for  a 
tall  form  of  the  latter.  Like  this,  also,  it  is  an  emigrant  from 
Europe,  but  in  its  distribution  in  the  United  States,  seems  con- 
fined to  the  Pacific  Coast.  It  has  doubtless  reached  us  by  way 
of  Mexico,  in  the  days  of  the  Spanish  or  Mexican  occupation. 
If  it  were  not  for  the  association  of  the  genus  in  the  American 
mind  with  weeds,  the  graceful  beauty  of  these  plants  would 
be  more  appreciated.  The  two  common  naturalized  species 
of  the  Atlantic  slope  have  also  found  their  way  of  late  years  to 
California,  and  are  now  more  or  less  abundant  in  the  Sacra- 
mento Valley. 


209 


MOHAVEA  (Mohavea  viscida,  Gray).  Flowers  pale  yellow, 
purple-dotted,  somewhat  bell-shaped,  1|  inches  long,  the 
base  swollen  on  one  side,  corolla  of  2  fan-like  lips,  the  upper 
2-lobed,  the  lower  3-lobed  with  a  prominent  palate  bearded 
down  the  middle;  stamens  4,  2  of  them  fertile  and  2  reduced  to 
small,  abortive  filaments,  disposed  in  short,  terminal,  few- 
flowered  racemes.  Leaves  narrow,  an  inch  or  two  long,  the 
lower  opposite,  the  upper  alternate.  An  erect,  sticky-hairy 
annual,  from  a  few  inches  to  2  feet  high,  flowering  from  March 
till  May  in  the  desert  regions  of  Southeastern  California  and 
of  Arizona. 

Mohavea  is  one  of  those  flowrers  which  surprise  the  visitor 
in  the  desert  with  an  exquisite  delicacy  born  of  the  most  deso- 
late conditions — a  pallid,  ethereal  blossom  of  silken  texture  and 
a  sort  of  orchid-like  aspect.  The  honor  of  its  discovery  in 
complete  flower  is  due  to  John  C.  Fremont,  in  1844,  though  im- 
perfect specimens  had  been  collected  some  years  before  by  Dr. 
Thomas  Coulter,  a  pioneer  collector  on  the  desert.  Fremont's 
plants  were  gathered  on  the  banks  of  the  Mohave  River,  Cali- 
nia,  and  the  name  Mohavea  commemorates  the  fact. 


210 


BROOMRAPE  FAMILY 

(OrobanchacecB) 

Parasitic  plants  on  the  roots  of  others,  whitish,  yellowish, 
or  brownish,  never  green,  with  alternate  scales  in  place  of 
leaves.  Flowers  solitary,  axillary. 

CANCER  ROOT  (Aphyllon  fasciculatum,  Gray).  Flowers 
yellowish  or  brownish,  corolla  2-lipped,  with  an  elongated 
somewhat  curved  tube,  about  f  inch  in  length;  solitary  on 
bunched,  long  footstalks  rising  from  the  axils  of  the  scales. 
Stem  densely  sticky-hairy,  a  few  inches  tall,  parasitic  on  other 
plant-roots,  in  sandy  ground  California  to  British  Columbia, 
and  eastward  through  Arizona  to  the  Mississippi  Valley. 

The  name  Cancer  Root  has  been  popularly  applied  to  several 
plants  of  the  Broomrape  family  because  of  their  fancied 
efficacy  in  cancerous  diseases.  There  are  hah*  a  dozen  species 
of  Aphyllon  indigenous  to  the  Pacific  Coast,  several  of  which 
have  their  flowers  in  dense  racemes  or  spikes.  One  of  these — • 
Aphyllon  tuberosum,  Gray — of  Southern  California  has  a 
thickened  tuber-like  base,  which  the  Indians  roasted  and  ate. 

By  some  botanists  the  plants  of  this  genus  are  included  in 
the  genus  Orobanche. 

211 


ACANTHUS  FAMILY 

(Acanthacece) 

Herbs  or  shrubs  with  opposite,  simple  leaves,  more  or  less 
2-lipped  or  irregular  flowers  with  usually  conspicuous  bracts, 
and  the  general  character  of  the  Figworts;  stamens  4  (2  long  and 
2  short),  or  only  2;  calyx  persistent,  of  usually  5  unequal  sepals. 

CHUPAROSA  (Beloperone  californica,  Benth.).  Flowers 
dull  scarlet,  tubular,  about  an  inch  long,  2-lipped,  stamens 
2;  borne  in  short,  rather  loose  racemes  terminating  the 
branches,  which  are  often  leafless.  Leaves,  when  present, 
small,  ovate,  or  oval,  grayish  green.  A  low  shrub,  forming  a 
clump  of  ashen-gray,  downy,  interlacing  branches,  indigenous 
to  the  desert  regions  of  Southern  California  and  Arizona,  south- 
ward to  Mexico;  flowering  in  the  spring.  One  of  the  most 
striking  of  desert  flowers,  when  the  leafless  and  apparently 
lifeless  tangle  of  branches  is  adorned  with  the  numerous  bright 
corollas,  like  so  many  tongues  of  flame.  The  blossoms  may  be 
easily  mistaken  by  the  careless  for  Penstemon,  and  sometimes 
are.  Mexicans  call  the  plant  Chuparosa,  which  may  be  trans- 
lated Humming-bird  Flower — the  hummers  feeding  on  its 
sweets. 

212 


HONEYSUCKLE  FAMILY 

(Caprifoliaceoe) 

Shrubby  plants,  often  vines,  with  opposite  leaves,  the  regular 
and  irregular  flowers  gamopetalous,  and  commonly  in  parts  of  5. 

ELDER  (Sambucus  glauca,  Nutt.).  Flowers  white,  small, 
in  large,  flat-topped,  compound  clusters;  leaves  opposite, 
compound  with  smooth  leaflets,  deciduous;  berries  blue  with  a 
dense  mealy-white  "bloom."  Usually  a  tree  15  to  20  feet 
tall,  but  sometimes  attaining  a  height  of  30  or  even  40  feet; 
blooming  April  till  June  on  moist  hillsides  and  in  canon  bottoms 
from  Southern  California  to  British  Columbia,  eastward  to 
Idaho,  Nevada,  and  Utah. 

The  berries  of  this  Pacific  Coast  Elder  are  used  for  pies  and 
jellies.  The  Indians  not  only  ate  the  fruit,  but  from  the  dried 
blossoms  made  a  tea  for  fevers  and  digestive  troubles,  as  well 
as  a  wash  for  sprains  and  the  itch.  The  wood,  after  the  pith 
was  pushed  out,  was  turned  into  whistles  and  flutes,  or  split 
and  fashioned  into  clappers  for  dancers.  Bows  were  also  made 
from  it. 

S.  Mexicana,  Presl.,  occurs  in  parts  of  California  and  Arizona, 
the  leaves  downy  and  the  berries  without  "bloom." 
213 


GOURD  FAMILY 

(Cucurbitaceoe) 

Herbaceous  vines  usually  with  tendrils.  Leaves  alternate, 
generally  more  or  less  lobed.  Petals  usually  5,  often  more 
or  less  united;  flowers  of  2  sexes,  on  the  same  or  different 
plants.  Stamens  usually  3,  one  of  them  with  a  1-celled  anther, 
and  the  filaments  often  united. 

MOCK  ORANGE  (Cuc-arUta  foetidissima,  HBK.).  Flowers 
large,  yellow,  bell-shaped  with  5  recurving  lobes,  of  2 
sexes  on  the  same  vine,  solitary  on  axillary  footstalks  1  or  2 
inches  long.  Leaves  rough,  somewhat  triangular,  with 
heart-shaped  base  and  slightly  3  to  5-lobed.  A  rough,  hairy, 
prostrate  vine,  ill-smelling  when  disturbed,  from  a  large  peren- 
nial root,  blooming  from  April  to  July  or  later,  in  dry  soil, 
California  (especially  southern)  eastward  to  Nebraska  and 
Texas  and  south  into  Mexico. 

The  name  Mock  Orange,  commonly  applied  to  this  gourd, 
describes  the  mature  fruit.  They  are  of  saponaceous  composi- 
tion and  the  Indians  crushed  them  for  soap.  They  also  used 
the  seeds  for  food.  The  plant  is  nearly  related  to  the  pumpkin. 


214 


BIG  ROOT  (Echinocystis  fabacea,  Naudin).  Flowers  yel- 
lowish-white, wheel-shaped,  about  \  inch  across,  of  2  sexes  in 
the  same  plant,  the  staminate  in  axillary  racemes  at  the  base 
of  which  a  solitary  pistillate  flower  is  usually  borne  on  a  foot- 
stalk. Leaves  palmate,  about  5-lobed.  A  graceful  vine, 
sometimes  25  or  30  feet  long,  clambering  over  bushes,  growing 
rapidly  in  the  spring  from  a  huge  root,  Southern  and  Central 
California,  blooming  February  to  May. 

The  remarkable  root  of  this  common  plant  is  as  big  often 
as  a  man's  body.  Seen  exposed  at  the  surface  of  the  ground 
it  might  be  mistaken  for  a  jutting  rock,  but  for  the  vine  stems 
rising  from  it.  The  curious  prickly  burs  or  seed  vessels  con- 
tain a  few  large,  smooth  seeds  which  have  long  served  Cali- 
fornia children  as  playthings.  Another  purpose  to  which  they 
were  put  by  Spanish-Californians  was  to  make  necklaces  of 
them— the  meat  first  having  been  extracted  through  small 
holes  cut  in  the  shell.  They  called  the  plant  Chilicothe — a 
form  apparently  of  the  Aztec  chilacoyote,  wild  cucumber. 

The  nomenclature  of  the  genus  is  much  confused.  Some 
botanists  call  it  Micrampelis,  others  Megarrhiza. 


215 


BELL  FLOWER  FAMILY 

(Campanulacece) 

Herbs  with  alternate  leaves,  usually  with  milky  juice,  and 
regular  5-divided  gamopetalous  flowers,  the  corolla  usually 
withering  instead  of  dropping;  stamens  5;  style  hairy  with  a 
stigma  of  2  to  5  lobes,  at  first  shut  together.  The  anthers 
expand  while  the  flower  is  still  in  bud  and  discharge  their 
pollen  against  the  hairy  style.  The  stigma  matures  later 
after  the  flower  opens;  it  then  expands  for  the  reception  of 
pollen  brought  by  insects  from  other  flowers. 

CALIFORNIA  HAREBELL  (Campdnula  prenanthbides,  Durand). 
Flowers  blue,  about  %  inch  long,  bell-shaped,  divided  into  5 
slender,  recurving  lobes,  stamens  and  the  longer  pistil  much 
exserted;  scattered  or  clustered  in  terminal  racemes.  Leaves 
lanceolate  to  ovate,  sharply  toothed,  about  1  inch  long. 

The  California  Harebell  is  a  perennial  with  rather  stiff,  clus- 
tered stems,  a  foot  or  two  high,  blooming  in  summer,  in  moist, 
shady  places  of  the  redwood  forests  of  California,  and  in  foot- 
hills of  the  Sierra  Nevada.  The  seed  vessels  of  this  genus 
have  3  or  4  round  porthole-like  valves  on  the  side,  which  open 
up  for  the  discharge  of  the  seeds. 
216 


LOBELIA  FAMILY 

(Lobeliaceoe) 

Herbs  with  milky  juice,  alternate  leaves,  and  irregular  flow- 
ers, apparently  2-lipped;  stamens  5,  united  into  a  tube  by 
their  filaments  or  the  anthers  cohering  into  a  ring  about  the 
top  of  the  style,  which  is  single  and  surmounted  by  a  usually 
2-lobed  stigma  encircled  with  hairs.  (A  family  united  by  some 
botanists  with  Campanulacese,  into  which  it  seems  to  pass.) 

WESTERN  CARDINAL  FLOWER  (Lobelia  splendens,  Willd.). 
Flowers  flaming  red,  2-lipped;  the  corolla  tube  about  an  inch 
long,  split  down  the  upper  side,  the  lower  lip  3-parted  and 
spreading,  the  upper  2-cleft  and  erect;  borne  in  showy,  wand- 
like  racemes  at  the  summit  of  slender,  smoothish  stems  2  to  4 
feet  high.  Leaves  without  petioles,  lance-shaped  to  linear, 
with  gland-tipped  teeth.  Blooming  in  summer  and  early 
autumn  in  wet  grounds,  Southern  California  eastward  to  Ari- 
zona and  New  Mexico,  thence  south  to  Mexico. 

This  glorious  flower  is  so  nearly  a  duplicate  of  the  well- 
known  Eastern  Cardinal  Flower,  that  one  knowing  the  latter 
easily  recognizes  this.     It  is  slenderer  and  smoother  than  the 
Eastern,  and  the  leaves  narrower. 
217 


SUNFLOWER  FAMILY 

(Composi  tee) 

Herbs,  shrubs,  or  even  trees;  flowers  numerous  in  a  dense 
head  on  a  common  receptacle,  which  is  the  enlarged  top  of  the 
peduncle,  and  surrounded  by  a  circle  of  bracts  called  the  invol- 
ucre. Corolla  either  tubular,  or  the  limb  prolonged  into  a 
strap,  toothed  at  the  summit.  In  some  cases  both  sorts  of 
flowers  are  present  in  the  head — the  tubular  occupying  the 
centre  and  called  "disk  flowers,"  the  strap-shaped  occupying 
the  margin  and  called  "ray. flowers."  Calyx  tube  united 
with  the  seed-vessels  (achenes),  often  continued  into  a  ring  of 
bristles,  hairs,  or  scales  known  collectively  as  a  "pappus." 

ENCELIA  (Encelia  californica,  Nutt.).  Flower  heads  showy 
with  golden-yellow  rays  and  brownish-purple  disks,  solitary 
on  long,  naked  peduncles.  Leaves  short  petioled,  mostly 
alternate,  broadly  lance-shaped,  about  2  inches  long,  green 
both  sides  and  prominently  3-nerved  from  the  base.  A  bushy 
perennial  common  on  dry  hillsides,  Southern  California  east- 
ward to  Arizona,  blooming  more  or  less  at  all  seasons.  A 
showy  sunflower-like  blossom. 


218 


IXCIEXSO.  IXCEXSE  •  PLANT  (Encelia  farinosa,  Gray). 
Flower  heads  yellow,  both  ray  and  disk,  the  heads  somewhat 
clustered  at  the  tips  of  numerous  nearly  leafless  branches, 
rising  above  the  compact  plant.  Leaves  ovate,  narrowed  to  a 
rather  long  footstalk,  silvery  white  with  a  dense  scurfy  wool. 
A  woody  perennial,  forming  a  round-topped  bush  2  to  5  feet 
high,  with  usually  a  stout,  trunk-like  stem;  blooming  in  spring 
on  dry  hills  and  mesas  in  Southeastern  California,  throughout 
the  deserts  to  Arizona  and  southward  to  Mexico. 

This  is  one  of  the  commonest  of  desert  under-shrubs,  and  a 
close  look  at  it  shows  its  stem  and  branches  exuding  globules 
of  resinous  gum.  This  plays  a  considerable  part  in  the  human 
life  of  the  desert.  In  Lower  California  it  has  been  burned  as 
incense  in  the  churches  (whence  the  name  Incienso);  Indian 
children  use  it  as  chewing  gum;  and  their  fathers  make  a  var- 
nish of  it.  According  to  Mr.  Karl  S.  Lumholtz  ("New  Trails 
in  Mexico")  Mexicans  warm  the  gum  and  smear  it  on  the  left 
side  of  the  body  belowT  the  ribs  for  pain  there.  On  this  ac- 
count the  plant  is  sometimes  called  Yerba  del  Vaso,  "waist 
herb." 


219 


SUNSHINE.  DESERT  SUNFLOWER  (Encelia  eriocephala, 
Gray).  Flower  heads  golden  yellow,  about  l£  inches  in 
diameter,  the  base  and  margins  of  the  green  involucral  bracts 
conspicuously  white  with  long  hairs;  heads  single  or  panicled 
at  the  tips  of  the  stems.  Leaves  ovate  or  lance-shaped,  1  to 
3  inches  long,  alternate,  most  abundant  toward  the  base  of 
the  plant,  which  is  a  rather  hairy,  herbaceous  annual  from  a 
few  inches  to  2  feet  high,  or  sometimes  higher.  Blooming  in 
spring  in  the  sands  of  the  California  desert  region,  eastward 
to  Nevada  and  Arizona. 

Even  the  most  hurried  travelers  in  spring  across  the  open 
desert  by  train  or  motor  car  can  hardly  fail  to  be  attracted 
by  the  sight  of  this  charming  flower.  Its  blossoms  of  lively 
yellow  in  favorable  seasons  make  sheets  of  solid  color  over 
the  wastes,  quite  justifying  the  pretty  common  name  Sun- 
shine applied  to  it  in  some  localities.  The  botanical  name 
for  the  genus  was  given  in  honor  of  an  old-time  botanist, 
Christopher  Encel.  There  is  a  doubt  with  some  botanists 
about  the  propriety  of  including  this  species  Sunshine  in  En- 
celia, and  by  such  it  is  called  Gerdea  canescens,  T.  &  G. 


220 


WILD  SUNFLOWER  (Helidnthus  dnnuus,  L.).  Flower  heads 
3  to  5  inches  across,  with  yellow  rays  and  purple-brown  disks, 
borne  singly  at  the  branch  ends;  involucral  bracts  abruptly 
narrowing  to  a  slender  point.  Leaves  3  to  10  niches  long, 
mostly  alternate  and  toothed,  ovate,  3-ribbed  from  the  base, 
rough-hairy.  A  coarse,  erect,  branching  annual,  with  rough, 
often  mottled  stems,  from  2  to  10  feet  high,  by  roadsides  and 
on  plains — California  to  Washington,  eastward  to  the  Missouri 
River.  Blooming  mostly  in  the  autumn,  but  on  the  Pacific 
Coast  flowering  almost  all  the  year,  often  covering  great  areas 
with  gay  bloom. 

The  giant  sunflower  of  gardens  is  a  development  from  this 
wild  species,  which  from  time  immemorial  has  been  a  valuable 
plant  in  the  aboriginal  economy.  Indians  from  Canada  to 
Mexico  cultivated  wild  sunflower  as  a  crop,  the  seeds  being 
parched  and  ground  into  a  meal  which  for  nutrition  and  pal- 
atability  is  said  to  be  almost  equal  to  cornmeal.  The  seeds 
also  yield  an  oil,  which  the  aborigines  used  both  dietetically 
and  as  an  ointment.  The  large,  coarse  stalks  yield  a  utilizable 
fibre,  and  from  the  flowers  a  good  dye  has  been  made. 


221 


TIDY-TIPS  (Layia  platygUssa,  Gray).  Flower  heads  about 
an  inch  in  diameter,  ray  flowers  yellow,  usually  tipped  with 
white,  the  disk  flowers  yellow  with  black  anthers;  borne  singly 
at  the  tips  of  the  stems.  Leaves  alternate,  narrow,  without 
footstalks,  more  or  less  toothed  and  hairy,  some  of  the  upper 
deeply  cut.  Simple  or  branching,  hairy  annuals,  1  to  3  feet 
high,  blooming  from  April  till  June,  in  valleys  and  on  sunny 
mesas  throughout  western  and  southern  California. 

The  common  name  most  appropriately  describes  this  neat 
little  wilding,  which  captivates  all  hearts.  There  is  consider- 
able variation  in  the  flower,  the  white  tips  being  sometimes 
absent  or  occasionally  turned  to  purple.  There  is  another 
Layia,  common  from  Santa  Barbara  southward  into  Lower 
California,  which  may  be  confused  with  Tidy-tips,  and  that  is 
Layia  6legans,  T.  &  G.  The  rays,  however,  are  more  usually 
altogether  yellow  than  white-tipped.  An  essential  difference, 
however,  is  in  the  character  of  the  pappus.  This  in  Tidy- 
tips  consists  of  awn-like  bristles,  which  are  naked  their  whole 
length,  while  in  Layia  elegans  the  bristles  below  the  middle 
are  feathered  or  white-hairy. 


222 


WHITE  DAISY  (Layia  glandulosa,  H.  &  A.).  Flower  heads 
very  showy,  2  inches  or  so  in  diameter,  with  rays  of  pure,  clear 
white,  the  disk  yellow;  terminating  the  branches.  Leaves 
narrow,  without  footstalks,  grayish  green,  rough-hairy  and 
somewhat  sticky,  especially  above,  from  the  presence  of  little, 
blackish,  stalked  glands.  Blooming  from  April  till  June, 
common  from  Southern  California  to  British  Columbia,  and 
eastward  to  Idaho  and  New  Mexico.  A  usually  much- 
branched,  roughish  plant  from  a  few  inches  to  2  feet  high, 
affecting  sandy  soil. 

This  lovely  Layia  deserves  a  more  distinctive  common 
name  than  White  Daisy,  which  is  rather  inept.  As  the  botan- 
ical name  for  the  genus  is  easy  of  pronunciation  and  euphoni- 
ous, it  would  be  well  enough  to  call  the  plant  White  Layia. 
Layia,  by  the  way,  is  in  memory  of  G.  Tradescant  Lay,  nat- 
uralist of  the  Beechey  Exploring  Expedition  which  visited 
the  Pacific  Coast  in  1827.  The  plant  is  not  entirely  constant 
in  the  whiteness  of  its  rays.  Sometimes  these  are  rose-purple. 
In  fact,  specimens  have  been  collected  with  both  white  rays 
and  purple  on  the  same  plant.  The  San  Diego  Indians  used 
the  seeds  for  food. 


SEASIDE  DAISY.  BEACH  ASTER  (Erigeron  glaucus,  Ker.). 
Flower  heads  a  couple  of  inches  across  or  more,  disk  florets 
yellow,  rays  violet  or  lilac,  narrow,  exceedingly  numerous 
(sometimes  100  or  more)  in  several  rows;  borne  singly  at  the 
tips  of  ascending  stems  4  inches  to  a  foot  high.  Leaves  alter- 
nate, mostly  clustered  at  the  base  forming  a  crown  to  a  fleshy 
rootstalk,  pale  green  and  succulent,  the  largest  3  or  4  inches 
long  and  1  inch  wide,  those  of  the  stem  small  and  few.  A 
perennial  plant  common  along  the  coast  within  the  influence 
of  the  ocean,  from  Oregon  to  the  Santa  Barbara  Channel  Is- 
lands, flowering  throughout  most  of  the  year. 

The  Seaside  Daisy,  or  Beach  Aster,  is  one  of  the  noticeable 
wild  flowers  on  seaside  downs,  especially  from  Monterey 
northward,  and  its  resemblance  to  the  single,  bluish-flowered 
China  Asters  of  gardens  is  marked  enough  to  make  it  of  easy 
recognition.  The  genus  Erigeron  is,  indeed,  exceedingly  near 
to  Aster,  the  distinguishing  characters  being  mostly  of  tech- 
nical importance  only.  To  the  amateur  the  feature  of  Erig- 
eron that  is  most  striking  is  the  narrowness  and  great  number 
of  the  rays,  which,  moreover,  are  arranged  usually  in  several 


224 


MALACOTHREX  (Malacbthrix  californica,  DC.).  Flower 
heads  pale  yellow,  showy,  about  2  inches  across,  composed  en- 
tirely of  strap-shaped  ray  flowers  (like  the  dandelion);  solitary 
and  "terminating  usually  naked  stalks  6  inches  to  a  foot  high, 
nodding  in  the  bud.  Leaves  tufted  at  the  base  of  the  flower 
stalk,  cut  into  narrow  linear  divisions,  wrhich  when  young  are 
clothed  with  loose,  long,  soft  hairs.  An  herbaceous  annual, 
blooming  from  March  till  May,  in  sandy  soil  of  the  California 
Coast  region  from  San  Diego  to  San  Francisco,  and  on  plains 
of  the  interior  valleys. 

This  is  a  charming  flower,  the  large  heads  resembling  the 
bloom  of  the  Hawkweed,  and  of  a  delicate  tone  of  yellow  fused 
with  cream,  and  often  with  a  purplish  tone  at  the  centre.  In 
the  California  desert  region  and  eastward  to  Nevada  and 
Arizona,  and  northward  to  Oregon,  there  is  a  variety  glabrata 
quite  common,  which  is  devoid  of  hairiness,  and  usually  with 
flower  heads  borne  laterally  on  the  flowering  stem  as  well  as  at 
the  top.  Some  botanists  consider  this  a  separate  species,  M. 
glabrata,  Gray.  Malacothrix  means  "soft  hair,"  an  allusion 
to  the  woolliness  of  the  young  plant. 


225 


YELLOW  DAISY.  DOUGLAS  COREOPSIS  (Leptdsyne  Dougldsii, 
DC.).  Flower  heads  showy,  1  to  1^  inches  across,  both  disk 
and  ray  florets,  bright  yellow,  borne  singly  at  the  summit  of  a 
naked  stalk.  Involucral  bracts  in  2  series,  the  inner  8  to  12, 
erect  and  broad;  the  outer  fewer,  narrower,  loose,  and  leaf- 
like.  Leaves  mostly  basal,  divided  into  a  few  thread-like 
divisions.  An  herbaceous  annual,  a  few  inches  to  a  foot 
high,  blooming  from  March  till  summer  on  dry  plains  and  foot- 
hills, Southern  California  and  eastward  to  Arizona.  Rather 
variable,  being  much  reduced  in  size  when  growing  amid 
brush,  while  along  the  seashore  leaves  and  stems  are  thickish, 
and  the  flower  heads  larger. 

The  Yellow  Daisy  was  one  of  David  Douglas's  discoveries, 
which  accounts  for  his  name  being  linked  with  it.  It  is  a 
flower  of  peculiar  attractiveness  because  of  the  clear,  sun- 
shiny quality  of  its  yellow.  Its  general  appearance  suggests  a 
garden  Coreopsis,  and  some  botanists,  indeed,  class  it  as 
Coreopsis  Douglasii.  The  characteristic  feature  of  the  genus 
Leptosyne  is  the  presence  of  a  thickened  ring  (sometimes  hairy) 
around  the  tube  of  the  disk  corollas.  This  may  be  readily 
seen  under  a  pocket  lens. 


226 


SEA  DAHLIA  (Leptosyne  maritimay  Gray).  Flower  heads 
showy,  3  or  4  inches  across,  with  both  ray  and  disk  florets  and 
both  kinds  yellow;  solitary,  topping  naked  flower  stalks  6 
inches  long  or  more.  Leaves  alternate,  fleshy,  2  or  3 
times  divided  into  narrow  linear  lobes.  A  striking,  much- 
branched,  herbaceous  perennial  with  a  stout  base,  1  to  2£ 
feet  high,  blooming  in  spring  and  summer,  along  the  Southern 
California  coast  near  San  Diego,  in  Lower  California,  and  on 
the  adjacent  islands. 

The  resemblance  of  this  showy  flower  to  a  single  Yellow 
Dahlia  has  suggested  the  common  name.  Both  the  beauty  of 
the  blossom  and  the  striking  appearance  of  the  coarse  lace-like 
foliage  have  gained  for  it  a  place  in  gardens,  arid  its  complais- 
ance as  a  cut  flower  gives  it  an  additional  value  in  cultiva- 
tion. 

Also  along  the  coast  of  Southern  California  and  upon  the 
islands  near,  by  one  comes  upon  Leptdsyne  gigantea,  Kellogg, 
which  seems  a  robust  form  of  the  Sea  Dahlia,  but  is  readily 
distinguished  by  its  trunk-like  woody  stem,  2  to  8  feet  high,  1 
to  5  inches  thick,  and  crowned  at  the  summit  with  a  bunch  of 
finely  cut  leaves  and  coreopsis-like  flowers. 


227 


TELEGRAPH  PLANT  (Stephanomeria  virgata,  Benth.).  Flow* 
er  heads  an  inch  across  or  less,  entirely  of  strap-shaped  flor- 
ets (4  to  16)  white  or  flesh  colored  above,  purplish  on  the  back, 
almost  sessile  along  the  leafless  upper  part  of  the  wand-like 
stem  or  slender  panicled  branches,  open  only  in  the  early 
morning.  Leaves  of  lower  stem  wavy- toothed  or  deeply 
divided,  upper  leaves  small,  linear.  A  smooth,  upright,  rigid- 
stemmed  annual,  usually  2  to  6  feet  high,  but  sometimes  even 
15  feet;  very  common  on  the  dry  plains  and  foothills  of  South- 
ern California,  eastward  to  Nevada  and  Utah,  and  northward 
to  Oregon;  blooming  July  to  October. 

A  feature  of  the  floral  life  of  California  is  the  presence  of 
many  herbaceous  plants  which  take  no  interest  hi  a  world 
that  is  not  bone-dry,  blooming  only  after  the  rainy  season  is 
long  past  and  most  flowers  have  seeded  and  vanished.  Among 
these  is  the  Telegraph-plant,  which  owes  its  name  doubtless  to 
its  tall,  rigid,  pole-like  stems,  practically  leafless.  The  flowers 
suggest  those  of  chicory,  save  that  they  are  not  blue.  Some 
botanists  prefer  to  call  the  plant  Ptiloria  virgata,  Greene. 


228 


GUM  PLANT  (Grindelia  cuneifolia,  Nutt.).  Flower  heads 
about  2  inches  across,  both  disk  florets  and  rays  present  and 
both  yellow,  solitary  at  the  tips  of  panicled  branchlets,  the 
buds  remarkable  for  a  covering  of  whitish  gum.  Leaves 
thick,  narrow,  3  or  4  inches  long,  the  upper  disposed  to  be 
clasping  at  the  base  and  without  footstalks.  A  coarse,  bushy 
plant,  woody  at  the  base,  2^  to  4  feet  high,  blooming  showily 
in  late  summer  and  autumn  in  salt  marshes  and  on  seaside 
shores  from  Southern  California  northward. 

There  are  several  species  of  Grindelia  indigenous  to  the 
Pacific  Coast,  recognized  in  a  general  way  by  the  peculiar 
gumminess  of  the  buds  and  flower  heads,  which  occasions  the 
common  name  Gum  Plant.  These  resinous  tops  were  used 
medicinally  by  the  Indians — both  internally,  made  into  a  tea, 
for  troubles  of  the  respiratory  organs,  and  as  a  wash  for  rhus 
poisoning-^uses  to  which  modern  whites  also  put  them.  On 
the  dry  hillsides  of  inland-  California  Grindelia  robusta,  Nutt. 
is  common,  which  resembles  G.  cuneifolia,  but  the  stem  is  her- 
baceous at  the  base  instead  of  woody,  and  the  larger,  more 
rigid  leaves  are  mostly  sharp  toothed.  Grindelia  commem- 
orates a  European  botanist  of  a  century  ago  named  Grindel. 


229 


RABBIT  BRUSH  (Chrysothdmnus  nausebsus  (Pursh)  Britt.). 
Flower  heads  each  of  5  yellow  disk  florets,  narrow  and  about 
^  inch  high  (no  rays),  and  disposed  in  numerous,  flattish- 
topped,  compound  clusters.  Leaves  linear  (to  almost  thread- 
like in  some  forms),  grayish  with  loose  white  wool  in  the  typical 
form,  but  this  sometimes  entirely  absent  or  disappearing  in 
age.  A  rather  rank-smelling,  bushy  shrub  3  to  10  feet  high, 
the  woolly  branchlets  grayish  white,  or  in  some  forms  becom- 
ing smooth  and  yellowish  green  in  age;  abounding  in  sandy  or 
sterile  ground  from  Southern  California  along  the  desert  bor- 
ders and  in  arid  regions  northward  to  British  Columbia  and 
eastward  to  Wyoming  and  New  Mexico;  blooming  in  summer 
and  autumn. 

The  Rabbit  Brush  is  as  typical  a  plant  of  the  arid  regions  of 
the  Far  West  as  Sage  Brush,  in  company  with  which  it  fre- 
quently grows.  The  species  is  very  variable  and  its  different 
forms  have  given  botanists  no  end  of  trouble  to  systematize. 
The  name  Chrysothamnus  means  "golden-bush,"  and  very 
accurately  describes  the  plant  when  covered  with  its  abound- 
ing golden-yellow  flowers,  which  though  individually  small  are 
showy  in  the  mass.  Immense  areas  are  sometimes  covered 
by  it. 

230 


GUATAMOTE  (Bdccharis  viminea,  DC.).  Flower  heads  about 
I  inch  high  of  many  whitish  or  tawny  disk  florets,  no  rays  pres- 
ent, disposed  in  small  flattish  clusters  terminating  numerous 
lateral  branchlets.  Leaves  alternate,  narrow,  willowlike,  2 
or  3  inches  long.  An  evergreen,  willow-like  shrub,  the  very 
leafy  stems  6  to  12  feet  high,  often  forming  dense  thickets  along 
water  courses  and  ditches  from  Southern  California  to  the 
Sacramento  Valley,  and  from  the  ocean  to  the  desert  borders. 
Flowering  in  late  winter  and  early  spring. 

This  common  California  shrub  holds  its  foliage  through  the 
winter  and  is  a  favorite  browse  for  live  stock,  which  seem  to 
do  well  on  it,  whence  the  name  Mule-fat  given  to  it  in  some 
districts.  The  curious  term  Guatamote  (commonly  pro- 
nounced wah-ta-mo'td],  by  which  it  frequently  goes  in  Southern 
California,  is  a  Mexican  word,  and  is  apt  to  become  distorted 
by  the  English-speaking  to  "water-motor."  -In  this  corrupt 
form  it  has  even  got  into  print. 

There  are  several  species  of  Baccharis  on  the  Pacific  Coast, 
mostly  shrubs,  but  some  herbaceous.  From  the  wood  of  one 
the  San  Diego  Indians  were  accustomed  to  make  then*  fire- 
drills. 


231 


ARROW-WEED  (Pluchea  sericea  (Nutt.)  Coville).  Flower 
heads  of  disk  florets  only,  purple,  or  whitish  tinged  with  red  or 
purple,  in  terminal  clusters.  These  florets  are  of  two  kinds, 
those  of  the  margin  pistillate  with  slender  style  branches  long 
exserted  and  thread-like  corollas,  the  central  florets  often  ster- 
ile and  with  tubular  5-cleft  corollas.  Leaves  alternate,  nar- 
row and  tapering  to  both  ends,  about  an  inch  long,  silvery- 
silky.  An  erect,  grayish,  willow-like  shrub,  6  to  15  feet  high, 
very  leafy,  common  along  streams  and  in  damp  ground,  form- 
ing thickets,  .Southern  California,  east  through  the  deserts 
to  the  Rio  Grande;  flowering  April  to  July. 

A  thicket  of  Arrow-weed  is  a  welcome  feature  in  the  land- 
scape for  campers.  The  perfectly  straight,  slender  stems, 
abundantly  clothed  with  silky  leaves,  are  readily  gathered  in 
quantity  sufficient  for  spreading  on  the  ground  as  a  foundation 
upon  which  to  lay  one's  blankets,  making  a  capital  substitute 
for  a  mattress.  Indians  found  the  plant  serviceable  for 
thatching  their  huts,  and  also  made  arrow  shafts  of  the  stems, 
whence,  doubtless,  the  common  name.  The  Mexican  name 
for  the  plant  is  Cachanilla.  In  the  older  botanical  reports  it 
was  called  Tessaria  borealis. 


232 


MULE  EAKS  (Wyethia  angustifdlia,  Nutt.).  Flower  heads 
solitary,  3  to  4  inches  across,  composed  of  both  ray  and  disk 
florets,  and  both  yellow,  the  involucre  an  inch  high  of  loose, 
leaf-like  bracts.  Leaves  alternate,  lance-shaped,  tapering  to 
both  ends,  hairy  and  often  somewhat  glutinous,  the  lower 
ones  tufted,  6  inches  to  a  foot  or  more  long,  with  an  erect 
habit;  the  stem  leaves  shorter  and  usually  broader.  A  peren- 
nial herb  a  few  inches  to  2  feet  high,  from  a  strong  root  crowned 
with  a  short  trunk;  common  from  Central  California  north  to 
Oregon,  in  moist  ground  and  valley  lands,  and  on  hillsides, 
blooming  in  late  spring  and  summer. 

Wyethia  is  a  genus  of  several  species  peculiar  to  the  Far 
West.  Because  of  the  large,  bright  yellow  flowers  most  of 
them  are  lumped  in  popular  parlance  as  Sunflowers.  The 
ample  root  leaves  with  an  alert,  upright  habit  are  also  con- 
spicuous, whence  the  name  Mule  Ears.  Several  species  have 
played  an  important  part  in  aboriginal  economy;  the  seeds 
being  gathered  for  food,  and  the  resinous  root  used  in  the 
form  of  a  decoction  for  an  emetic.  The  edges  of  the  leaves 
are  popularly  thought  to  face  north  and  south. 


233 


TAR  WEED  (Madia  Slegans,  Don.).  Flower  heads  yellow, 
of  both  ray  and  disk  florets,  the  showy  rays  about  f  inch  long, 
acutely  3-lobed  and  often  with  a  dark  red  spot  at  the  base, 
opening  at  evening  and  closing  the  next  morning;  the  involucre 
angled  by  the  keel-shaped  bracts,  of  which  each  completely 
enfolds  the  seed  of  its  corresponding  ray;  heads  axillary  and 
terminal.  Leaves  narrow,  alternate,  the  basal  crowded,  6 
inches  long  or  more,  the  upper  much  smaller,  and  sticky 
with  gland-tipped  hairs.  A  stout,  gummy  annual,  2  to  5  feet 
high,  common  on  hills  from  Southern  California  to  Oregon, 
and  east  to  Nevada;  blooming  in  summer. 

The  appearance  of  this  flower  suggests  a  Coreopsis,  but  as  it 
is  a  night-owl  among  blossoms,  many  people  never  see  the 
flower  and  know  the  plant  only  to  be  repelled  by  its  unpleas- 
ant stickiness  of  stem  and  leaf.  This  is  the  showiest  of  sev- 
eral species  of  Madia,  whose  seeds  entered  largely  into  the  food 
supply  of  the  Pacific  Coast  Indians.  The  name  is  a  modifica- 
tion of  the  Chilean  word  Modi,  applied  to  a  species  (M.  saliva, 
Mol.)  growing  in  Chile  as  well  as  in  California,  whose  oily  seeds 
yield  an  oil  once  used  in  cooking. 


234 


TARWEED  (Hemizonia  luzulcefolia,  D.  C.).  Flower  heads 
an  inch  across  or  less,  of  both  ray  and  disk  florets,  rays  5  to 
10,  3-lobed,  white  (sometimes  with  a  pinkish  tinge)  or  even 
light  yellow,  opening  only  in  bright  sunshine;  heads  termi- 
nating the  panicled  branchlets;  the  seed  of  each  ray  floret  par- 
tially enfolded  by  the  involucral  bract.  Leaves  linear,  the 
upper  quite  small  and  sticky,  the  lower  elongated  and  silky. 
A  sticky,  strong-scented,  much-branched  annual,  8  inches  to 
2  feet  high,  common  in  dry,  open  grounds,  Central  and  North- 
ern California,  blooming  from  April  till  November,  and  often 
covering  extensive  areas. 

Of  the  numerous  plants  on  the  Pacific  Coast  known  as  Tar- 
weed  from  their  disagreeable  sticky  exudations  on  stem  and 
leaf,  this  Hemizonia  is  one  of  the  commonest.  The  name 
means  "half-girdle,"  and  is  applied  to  the  genus  because  of 
the  characteristic  half  encircling  of  the  ray  seeds  by  the  in- 
volucral bract.  Hemizonia  luzulcefolia  is  an  abundant  pro- 
ducer of  seeds,  which,  roasted  and  ground  into  meal,  contrib- 
uted an  important  item  of  food  to  the  Northern  California 
Indians.  The  toasted  seeds  have  a  pleasant  spicy  odor. 


235 


PINCUSHION  (Chamdctis  glabritisda,  DC.).  Flower  heads 
golden  yellow  throughout,  the  corollas  of  the  marginal  flor- 
ets with  an  enlarged  throat  and  fan-like  limb  (the  latter  divided 
into  5  fingers)  thus  creating  the  effect  of  rays  about  the  disk; 
heads  about  f  inch  high,  solitary  at  the  tips  of  stout,  naked 
peduncles.  Leaves  thickish,  once  to  twice  divided  into  a 
few  very  narrow  lobes.  An  herbaceous,  branching  annual, 
6  inches  to  1^  feet  high,  common  in  sandy  soil  and  rocky 
ground,  throughout  Central  and  Southern  California,  from  the 
coast  to  the  mountains  and  borders  of  the  desert — blooming 
from  April  till  June. 

The  trig,  roundish-topped  heads  of  this  charming  flower, 
abundant  in  spring  by  waysides  and  on  hills,  are  quite  sug- 
gestive of  the  common  name  Pincushion  especially  when 
studded  with  the  protruding  stamens  and  pistils.  The  species 
is  exceedingly  variable,  and  4  or  5  varieties  are  described  in 
the  books.  Variety  tenuifolia  has  almost  threadlike  divisions 
to  the  leaves,  and  the  marginal  corollas  have  the  limb  so  little 
developed  as  to  be  hardly  noticeable — the  head  appearing 
all  disk.  Variety  lanosa  is  rarely  a  foot  high,  leafy  only  at  the 
base  and  the  herbage  whitish  with  woolliness. 

236 


(Chamddis  artemiscefblia,  Gray.).  Flower 
heads  white,  without  ray  florets,  the  involucre  sticky  to  the 
touch,  borne  on  naked  peduncles  in  loose,  leafless  panicles. 
Leaves  alternate,  about  4  inches  long,  twice  or  thrice  divided 
into  very  narrow  divisions,  more  or  less  sticky-hairy.  An  up- 
right, branching  annual,  from  1  to  5  feet  high*  common  in  the 
hills  of  some  parts  of  Southern  California  from  the  vicinity  of 
Los  Angeles  to  San  Diego,  and  southward  into  Mexico;  bloom- 
ing April  to  July. 

In  default  of  a  popular  name,  the  by  no  means  hard  botan- 
ical generic  name  (pronounced  Ke-nac'tis)  may  serve.  Chaen- 
actis  means  "  a  gaping  ray,"  and  was  given  to  the  genus  because 
in  most  species  the  ray  florets  are  enlarged  into  a  sort  of  wide- 
open  mouth.  This  character,  however,  is  not  obvious  in  this 
species. 

There  is  another  white-flowered  species,  but  with  marginal 
florets  much  enlarged,  quite  common  on  the  Colorado  Desert 
of  California  and  eastward  to  Arizona— ^Chcenactis  FremiSnti, 
Gray.  It  is  a  rather  slender  annual,  sometimes  only  a  couple 
of  inches  high,  and  rarely  more  than  a  foot  tall. 


237 


CALIFORNIA  SAGE  BRUSH  (Artemisia  calif ornica,  Less.). 
Flower  heads  yellowish  or  whitish,  all  tubular,  very  numerous, 
nodding  in  panicled  racemes.  Leaves  grayish  green,  once  or 
twice  parted  into  threadlike  divisions,  or  the  uppermost 
threadlike  entire  and  clustered;  pleasantly  aromatic.  A 
shrub  2  to  5  feet  high,  much  branched,  abundant  on  hillsides 
in  California  from  San  Francisco  southward  to  Mexico,  par- 
ticularly near  the  Coast,  blooming  from  May  to  August. 

No  fragrance  of  the  hills  is  more  grateful  to  the  average 
rambler  than  that  of  the  California  Sage  when  it  is  released 
as  his  clothing  brushes  against  it.  Both  this  and  the  appear- 
ance of  the  plant  suggest  the  Southernwood  of  old-fashioned 
gardens,  which  is,  indeed,  an  Old  World  cousin  of  our  plant. 
I  have  heard  that  Spanish-Calif  ornians  call  the  California  Sage 
"romerillo,"  and  they  make  a  tea  of  it  for  bronchial  troubles. 
It  is  near  akin  to  wormwood,  and  a  similar  bitter  principle  is 
resident  in  it.  Owing  to  the  plant's  abundance  on  many  hill- 
sides, forming  extensive  thickets,  it  is  also  known  in  some 
sections  as  Hill  Brush. 


238 


DESERT  SAGE  BRUSH  (Artemisia  tridentata,  Nutt.).  Flower 
heads  small,  yellowish,  all  of  disk  florets,  in  dense  panicles  a 
foot  long;  leaves  silver  gray  on  both  sides,  about  an  inch  long, 
wedge-shaped,  the  broad,  square  summit  3-toothed  or  3-lobed, 
aromatic.  An  erect,  much-branched  shrub  1  to  6  feet  tall 
(sometimes  10  to  12),  with  a  short  trunk  and  shrubby  bark; 
abundant  from  Lower  California  to  Washington  on  plains  and 
mountains  bordering  the  desert  and  eastward  to  Montana, 
Colorado,  and  Utah;  blooming  in  late  spring  and  summer. 

This  is  the  characteristic  Sage  Brush  of  the  Far  West,  in 
places  forming  the  entire  vegetal  covering  of  mile  after  mile. 
Aside  from  the  use  of  the  short  trunks  for  fuel  when  timber  is 
unprocurable,  white  men  have  small  regard  for  it;  but  the 
Indians  turned  it  to  account  also  in  a  medicinal  way.  A  de- 
coction of  the  leaves  was  used  in  diarrhea,  and  the  mashed 
leaves  were  applied  to  bruises.  A  variety  (angustifolia)  with 
narrower  leaves,  the  lower  with  a  roundish  summit  barely 
3-toothed,  occurs  from  Southern  California  eastward  to  New 
Mexico. 


SNEEZEWEED  (Helenium  pubentlum,  D.C.).  Flower  heads 
solitary  on  long  peduncles,  at  the  ends  of  clustered  branch- 
lets,  the  spherical  disk  about  \  inch  across  of  reddish-brown 
florets,  the  rays  yellow,  much  shorter  than  the  disk  is  wide, 
rather  inconspicuous,  and  usually  drooping.  Leaves  alter- 
nate, lance-shaped,  the  upper  an  inch  or  two  long  (the  lowest 
4  to  6  inches  long),  without  footstalks  and  their  margins  con- 
tinuous with  the  stems  for  a  considerable  distance.  A  dark 
green  herbaceous  perennial,  2  to  5  feet  high,  frequent  along 
shady  mountain  streams  and  in  moist  ground  throughout 
California,  blooming  from  June  to  October. 

The  flower  heads  of  Sneezeweed  are  very  peppery  and  bitter. 
The  powdered  flowers  and  leaves  of  an  eastern  species  (H. 
autumnale,  L.)  have  been  used  to  produce  sneezing,  whence 
the  common  name;  and  doubtless  our  species  would  have  the 
same  effect.  Mr.  Chesnut  records  a  Yokia  Indian  name  for 
the  plant  that  means  Beaver  Flower — probably  originating 
in  a  fancied  resemblance  of  the  winged  stems  to  a  beaver's 
tail.  A  Spanish-California  name  for  it  is  Rosilla — "little 


240 


DOUGLAS'S  GROUNDSEL  (Senecio  Dougldsii,  DC.).  Flower 
heads  yellow,  with  both  ray  florets  and  disk,  the  rays  about  a 
dozen,  light  yellow,  narrowish,  and  barely  ^  inch  long,  in  ter- 
minal, loose-branching  clusters.  Leaves  alternate,  white- 
woolly,  divided  into  narrow  almost  thread-like  lobes.  A 
somewhat  shrubby  perennial,  forming  a  bush  usually  3  or  4 
feet  high,  but  sometimes  taller,  common  on  open  plains,  in 
gravelly  washes,  and  on  foothill  slopes  in  Southern  and  Cen- 
tral California,  eastward  through  Arizona  and  Utah  to  Texas 
and  Nebraska;  blooming  from  July  to  December. 

The  genus  Senecio  is  an  exceedingly  numerous  one,  com- 
prising perhaps  1,000  species  altogether,  distributed  almost 
throughout  the  world.  Of  these  there  are  more  than  40 
species  indigenous  to  the  Pacific  Slope.  They  are  of  varied  as- 
pect, some  being  entirely  devoid  of  rays.  In  most  species 
the  copious  pappus  of  soft  white  bristles  is  a  noticeable  feature. 
This  character  is  probably  responsible  for  the  name  Senecio, 
which  is  a  modification  of  the  Latin  senex,  an  old  man.  Doug- 
las's Senecio  is  one  of  the  most  conspicuous  wild  plants  of  the 
late  year  in  Southern  California,  a  period  when  the  floral  tide 
is  at  its  lowest. 

241 


BRASS  BUTTONS  (Cbtula  cordnopifdlia,  L.).  Flower  heads 
yellow  without  rays,  about  ?  inch  in  diameter,  solitary  on 
slender  peduncles.  Leaves  linear,  lance-shaped,  or  coarsely 
toothed  on  the  same  plant,  and  clasping  at  the  base  around 
the  stem.  An  herbaceous,  rather  succulent  perennial,  a  foot 
or  so  high,  quite  common  in  marshes  and  along  streams  and 
ditches  in  California;  blooming  pretty  much  the  entire  year. 

The  cheerful  rotund  flowers  of  this  Cotula  are  well  described 
by  the  common  name  of  Brass  Buttons.  They  give  a  lively 
sparkle  of  color  to  many  a  wet  wayside  particularly  near  the 
coast.  I  believe  the  Spanish-Californians  call  the  plant  a 
little  more  courteously,  Boton  de  pro,  that  is  "gold  button." 
It  is  an  immigrant  to  our  shores,  its  native  home  being  South 
Africa.  The  foliage  is  strongly  but  not  unpleasantly  scented. 

There  is  a  dainty  little  Australian  cousin  of  Brass  Buttons 
which  has  become  noticeable  in  spring  along  city  streets  and 
in  lawns  in  California.  Its  flower  heads  are  barely  |  inch  in 
diameter,  yellowish  white,  rising  on  threadlike  peduncles  out 
of  the  parsley-like  foliage  of  the  plant,  which  spreads  close 
to  the  ground.  It  is  Cdtula  australis,  Hook,  f . 


242 


MANZAXILLA  (Matricdria  discoidea.  D.C.).  Flower  heads 
greenish  yellow,  with  a  fringe  of  white  at  base,  somewhat 
egg-shaped,  about  |  inch  high,  borne  in  loose,  terminal  clusters. 
Leaves  much  dissected  into  short,  very  narrow  lobes,  pleas- 
antly scented.  A  leafy  annual,  a  few  inches  to  a  foot  high, 
blooming  from  February  to  July,  common  along  waysides  and 
in  open  grounds  from  Southern  California  to  Alaska,  and  east- 
ward more  sparingly  along  the  railroads  even  to  the  Atlantic 
Coast. 

This  familiar  little  plant  shows  its  chubby  round  face  in 
the  spring,  and  is  worthy  of  more  respect  than  it  usually  gets. 
Pinch  its  leaves  and  you  are  rewarded  with  a  delicious,  if  faint, 
fragrance  of  apples.  Perhaps  from  this  has  originated  the 
name  by  which  the  Spanish-Californians  call  it — Manzanilla, 
which  means,  a  "little  apple."  They  have  long  recognized 
it  as  a  medicinal  herb,  and  have  employed  it,  I  believe,  for 
bowel  complaints  and  ague.  It  is  a  confirmed  globe-trotter, 
having  spread  from  its  native  home  in  northern  Asia  not  only 
eastward  to  our  Pacific  Coast  (its  first  foothold  in  America) 
but  westward  to  Europe,  where  it  has  long  been  naturalized. 


248 


ERIOPHYLLUM.  GOLDEN  YARROW  (Eriophyllum  conftrti- 
flbrum  (DC.),  Gray).  Flower  heads  golden  yellow,  about 
|  inch  across,  with  both  disk  and  ray  florets  (the  rays  rather 
roundish),  in  crowded,  flat-topped  clusters  with  short  pedun- 
cles. Leaves  alternate,  wedge-shaped  in  outline  and  parted 
into  several  narrow  divisions.  A  plant  1  to  2  feet  high,  white  at 
first  with  a  close  woolliness  that  later  disappears;  frequent  on 
hills  and  in  the  mountain  chaparral  belt  at  low  altitudes;  South- 
ern and  Central  California,  blooming  from  March  till  August. 

This  is  one  of  the  noticeable  plants  of  the  Yosemite  wood- 
lands, and  is  readily  recognized  by  its  blossoms  suggesting 
in  form  and  arrangement  those  of  the  yarrow,  but  yellow  in- 
stead of  white.  The  botanical  name  of  the  genus  means 
"woolly  foliage,"  suggested  by  the  white  tomentum  that 
clothes  most  of  the  species  in  youth.  Confertiflorum,  the 
specific  appellative,  means  "with  crowded  flowers." 

A  kindred  species  is  E.  caspitosum,  Dougl.,  widely  dis- 
tributed in  several  varieties  from  British  Columbia  to  South- 
ern California.  It  is  noticeable  in  the  redwood  and  the  Sierra 
forests,  with  numerous  stems  sprawling  about  the  ground 
from  one  root,  and  showy  flower  heads  usually  solitary  on 
prominent  peduncles. 

244 


COXE  FLOWER  (Rudbtckia  calif ornica,  Gray).  Flower 
heads  composed  of  both  disk  and  ray  florets,  the  disk  brown- 
purple  becoming  conical  in  age,  the  rays  pure  yellow,  drooping, 
1  to  2  inches  long  or  even  more;  the  heads  solitary  on  a  long 
flower  stalk.  Leaves  alternate,  more  or  less  toothed,  ovate  to 
lance-shaped,  the  upper  without  footstalks.  A  somewhat 
hairy  plant  with  a  simple  stem  2  to  4  feet  high,  of  frequent 
occurrence  in  meadows  and  in  moist  ground  in  the  Sierra  Ne- 
vada, including  the  Yosemite  region;  blooming  in  summer. 

A  conspicuous  feature  of  the  Cone  Flower  is  the  conical  or 
cylindrical  disk  wrhich  increases  in  height  with  age  until  it 
often  stands  an  inch  high  in  the  midst  of  the  rays,  and  some- 
times as  much  as  2£  inches  high.  In  the  mountains  of  North- 
ern California  and  Oregon  and  eastward  to  Wyoming  is  a 
curious  species — Rudbeckia  occidentdlis,  Nutt. — in  which  the 
rays  are  wholly  wanting,  and  the  brownish  disk  stands  in 
lonely  grandeur  1  to  l£  inches  high.  The  name  Rudbeckia 
was  given  to  this  beautiful  genus  in  honor  of  two  Swedish 
scientists,  father  and  son,  named  Rudbeck,  who  preceded  Lin- 
naeus at  the  University  of  Upsala.  Several  species  have  long 
been  cultivated  in  European  gardens. 


245 


BAILEYA  (Bailey a  paudradiata,  H.  &  G.).  Flower  heads 
yellow  composed  of  both  disk  and  ray  florets,  the  latter  5  or  6 
in  number,  short  and  of  a  pale  lemon  tone  becoming  papery 
at  maturity  and  reflexed;  borne  singly  on  short  peduncles. 
Leaves  densely  white  woolly,  alternate,  narrow,  without  foot- 
stalks. A  much-branched,  leafy,  herbaceous  plant  from  a  few 
inches  to  1^  feet  high,  abundant  in  the  desert  regions  of  South- 
eastern California,  eastward  to  Arizona,  blooming  March  to 
May. 

Baileya  is  one  of  the  flowers  sure  to  attract  the  eye  of  the 
tourist  on  the  California  desert  in  spring,  both  because  of  the 
rather  ghostly  aspect  of  the  plant  in  its  white  woollens  and  the 
pale  look  of  the  flowers  with  their  wan,  turned-do\vn  rays — 
altogether  a  somewhat  unhappy  appearing  specimen,  yet  very 
lovely.  A  kindred  species,  found  on  the  Mojave  Desert  and 
thence  eastward  to  New  Mexico,  is  Baileya  multiradiata  (var. 
pleniradiata  (H.  &  G.),  Coville),  with  very  numerous  rays,  and 
flower  heads  on  long  peduncles. 

The  name  Baileya  preserves  the  memory  of  Prof.  Jacob 
Whitman  Bailey,  "the  father  of  microscopic  research  in 
America." 


246 


VEXEGASIA  (Venegasia  carpesioides,  DC.).  Flower  heads 
showy,  2  inches  across  or  more,  yellow,  composed  of  both  disk 
and  ray  florets,  the  latter  15  to  20  in  number,  usually  entire 
and  acute  but  not  infrequently  toothed  or  gashed  at  the  tip; 
heads  few,  terminal,  and  in  the  upper  axils  on  short  footstalks. 
Leaves  alternate,  thin,  slender-petioled,  ovate  with  a  somewhat 
heart-shaped  base,  resinous-dotted  underneath.  A  leafy  per- 
ennial, frequent  on  rocky  banks  of  streams  and  under  the 
shade  of  trees  in  the  canons  of  the  Southern  California  moun- 
tains below  3,000  feet;  blooming  in  summer. 

The  general  aspect  of  Venegasia  suggests  a  sunflower.  The 
smoothness  of  stem  and  herbage  is,  however,  in  marked  con- 
trast to  the  harshness  of  the  sunflower  plant;  while  an  exami- 
nation of  the  flower  head  reveals  several  differences.  In  Ven- 
egasia, for  instance,  the  receptacle  is  naked,  and  the  ray  florets 
fertile,  while  in  the  sunflower  the  receptacle  is  chaffy  and  the 
rays  sterile.  The  name  Venegasia  was  given  in  commemora- 
tion of  Padre  Miguel  Venegas,  a  gallant  old  Jesuit  missionary 
to  the  Indians  and  early  writer  on  Lower  California. 


247 


STAR  THISTLE  (Centaurea  melitensis,  L.).  Flower  heads 
small,  the  florets  yellow  and  all  tubular,  rising  out  of  a  globular 
involucre  which  is  armed  with  prickly  spines.  Leaves  alter- 
nate, gray  green,  the  upper  narrow,  without  footstalks  and 
decurrent  upon  the  stem,  in  the  form  of  long,  narrow,  wings; 
the  basal  leaves  lyre-shaped  and  deep-lobed.  An  erecj  .  much- 
branched  annual  1  to  2|  feet  high,  common  in  fieL  and  by 
roadsides,  California  and  Arizona,  blooming  May  to  Novem- 
ber. 

The  Star  This  tie  attracts  attention  both  because  of  its  pretty, 
thistle-like  golden  flowers,  and  because  of  its  vicious  prick- 
liness.  On  the  latter  account  it  is  in  general  disgrace;  yet 
it  is  of  good  family  and  its  cousins,  the  Cornflowers,  the  Sweet 
Sultans,  and  the  Dusty  Millers,  are  cherished  garden  plants. 
The  Star  Thistle  is  an  immigrant  on  the  Pacific  Coast,  its 
original  home  being  southern  Europe.  The  specific  name, 
Melitensis,  indeed,  means  "Maltese."  The  popular  name, 
Star  Thistle,  also  is  of  interesting  etymology — the  spiny,  glob- 
ular involucre  suggesting  the  medieval  weapon  called  "  morn- 
ing star" — a  metal  ball  set  with  spikes,  and  mounted  on  a 
long  handle. 

248 


MILK  THISTLE  (Sttybum  Maridnum,  Gsertn.).  Flower 
heads  1  to  2  inches  across,  with  tubular  rose-purple  florets; 
solitary  at  the  branch  ends.  Leaves  prickly,  deeply  lobed 
and  wavy  margined,  the  shiny  green  surface  conspicuously 
blotched  with  white  along  the  veins.  Stout  annuals  or  bien- 
nials, 3  ^o  6  feet  high,  along  roadsides  and  in  fields,  Central 
and  Souifferh  California,  flowering  in  summer. 

An  immigrant  from  the  Mediterranean  region,  the  beautiful 
Milk  Thistle  has  abused  its  freedom  in  our  Land  of  Liberty, 
and  in  some  places  has  become  a  persistent  interloper  and  a 
nuisance  in  cultivated  grounds.  There  is  an  Old  World  tradi- 
tion that  the  white  markings  upon  the  leaves  are  due  to  drops 
of  milk  that  fell  from  the  Virgin's  breast  as  she  nursed  the 
infant  Christ.  For  this  reason  the  plant  has  also  been  called 
Our  Lady's  Thistle  and  Blessed  Thistle.  In  old  European  gar- 
dens it  used  to  be  grown  both  for  ornament  and  for  its  edi- 
bleness.  The  roots  were  boiled  for  pot  herbs,  the  heads 
treated  as  the  artichoke,  and  the  young  leaves  made  into 
spring  salads. 


249 


jit 


WESTERN  THISTLE  (Cdrduus  occidentdlis,  Nutt.).  Heads 
solitary  on  long  peduncles,  the  tubular  florets  a  clear  red  or 
crimson,  1  to  1|  inches  long,  the  involucre  densely  covered 
with  cobwebby  hairs.  Leaves  rather  deeply  lobed,  only 
mildly  prickly,  smoothish  above,  white-hairy  beneath.  A 
stout  plant  2  to  5  feet  high,  the  stems  when  young  very  white 
with  a  coating  of  cottony  wool.  In  its  different  forms-— it  is 
quite  variable — it  is  common  from  the  Lower  California  line 
to  Southern  Oregon,  and  from  the  coast  to  the  desert;  bloom- 
ing in  spring  and  summer. 

This  lovely  thistle  catches  the  eye  instantly  when  seen  amid 
the  dun  chaparral  of  the  foothills,  where  its  bright  red  showy 
heads  glow  like  coals.  One  variety — candidissimus — com- 
mon in  northeastern  California,  is  remarkable  for  having  the 
entire  foliage  almost  snow  white  with  a  persistent  woolliness. 

A  peculiar  thistle  frequently  found  in  mountain  meadows  of 
the  Pacific  Slope  from  Lower  California  northward  is  Carduus 
Drummondii,  var.  acaulescens  (Gray)  Coville,  characterized 
by  having  several  heads  of  white  flowers  (but  sometimes 
magenta)  sessile  in  the  centre  of  a  rosette  of  leaves  flat  upon 
the  ground. 


250 


ARTICHOKE  (Cynara  Scolymus,  L.).  Flower  heads  very 
large,  2  to  3  inches  in  diameter,  of  disk  florets  only  which  are 
bright  blue,  borne  at  the  tip  of  loosely  clustered  branchlets; 
involucral  bracts  broad,  leathery,  and  tipped  usually  with 
a  long  spine.  Leaves  ample,  2  to  3  feet  long,  deeply  lobed 
(the  lobes  sharply  toothed),  and  silvery  green  with  a  hoary 
woolliness.  Robust  herbs,  2  to  4  feet  high,  from  perennial 
roots,  occasional  by  roadsides  in  California,  blooming  in  June 
or  July. 

This  regal  plant,  whose  flowers  suggest  a  glorified  blue  thistle, 
is  a  native  of  the  Mediterranean  region,  and  is  extensively  cul- 
tivated as  a  vegetable  in  some  parts  of  California — the  in- 
volucral bracts  being  eaten.  Its  seeds,  like  the  thistle's, 
supplied  with  generous  plumes,  are  borne  by  the  winds  consid- 
erable distances.  In  this  way  the  plant  has  escaped  from  gar- 
dens, and  set  up  for  tself  in  the  open. 

There  is  a  native  American  plant  also  known  as  Artichoke, 
but  of  quite  a  different  aspect  from  this  Cynara.  It  is 
Helianthus  tuberosus,  L.,  a  sunflower  of  the  Middle  West. 
Its  tubers  are  the  edible  part. 


251 


WESTERN  DANDELION  (Trdximon  grandifldrum,  Gray). 
Flower  heads  yellow,  1  to  1|  inches  high,  all  florets  strap- 
shaped,  borne  singly  at  the  top  of  stout,  naked,  hollow  stems, 
a  foot  or  two  high.  Leaves  all  basal,  lance-shaped,  deeply  cut. 
A  perennial  herb  with  a  strong,  deep  taproot.  Common  on 
plains  and  moist  hillsides  from  Southern  California  to  Wash- 
ington, blooming  in  spring  and  summer. 

Troximon  is  so  much  like  the  common  dandelion  of  the 
East  that  the  difference,  while  apparent  in  a  general  way,  is 
yet  hard  to  define.  Botanists  find  an  essential  distinction  in 
the  character  of  the  seeds  (achenes) — those  of  the  dandelion 
being  roughened  above  with  tiny,  hard  processes,  while  those 
of  Troximon  are  not  so.  These  achenes  in  Troximon  grandi- 
florum  have  a  noticeably  long,  capillary  beak — 3  or  4  times 
the  length  of  the  seed  body.  Troximon  is  indigenous  only 
.to  the  New  World,  principally  to  the  United  States  west  of 
the  Mississippi.  One  or  two  species  have  been  introduced  in  a 
small  way  into  European  gardens.  There  are  a  dozen  or  more 
species  and  varieties  found  on  the  Pacific  Slope,  2  or  3  with 
purple  flowers,  and  as  many  with  orange  flowers. 


252 


INDEX  TO  FAMILIES 


Acanthacese 

Amaryllidaceae 

Anacardiaceae 

Aristolochiaceae 

Asclepiadaceae 

Berberidaceae 
Boraginaceae 


Cactaceae     .      . 

Calycanthaceae 

Campanulaceae 

Capparidaceae 

Caprifoliaceae 

Caryophyllacese 

Composites 

Cornaceas 

Crassulaceae 

Cruciferse     . 


FAMILY 

Acanthus 

Amaryllis 

Sumac 

Birthwort 

Milkweed 

Barberry 
Borage 

Cactus 

Calycanthus 

Bellflower 

Caper 

Honeysuckle 

Pink 

Sunflower 

Dogwood 

Stonecrop 

Mustard 


Cucurbitaceae 

Ericaceae      .      . 
Euphorbiaceae  . 

Ficoideae 
Funiariaceae 

Gentianaceae 
Geraniaceas 

Hydrophyllacese 
Iridaceae 


Labiatae 
Leguminosae 
Liliaceae 
Loasaceaa 


FAMILY 

Gourd 

Heath 
Spurge 

Fig-marigold 
Fumitory 

Gentian 
Geranium 

Waterleaf 
Iris 

Mint 
Pea 
Lily 
Loasa 


253 


Lobeliaceae  . 

FAMILY 

Lobelia 

Rhamnaceae 

FAMILY 

.     Buckthorn 

Malvaceae  . 

.      .           Mallow 

Rosaceae 

.      .     Rose 

Nyctaginaceae  . 

Four-o'clock 

Sapindaceae 

M^aple 

Onagraceae 

Evening  Primrose 

Saururaceae 
Saxifragacese 

Lizardtail 

Orchidaceae  . 
Orobanchaceae  . 

Papaveraceae  . 
Plumbaginaceee 
Polemoniaceae  . 
Polygonaceae  . 
Portulacacese  . 
Primulaceae  .  . 

Ranunculaceae  . 

.      .      .     Orchid 
Broomrape 

.      .      .     Poppy 
Plumbago 
.      .      .      Phlox 
Buckwheat 
Purslane 
.      .      .     Primrose 

.      .      .     Crowfoot 

Scrophulariacese 
Solanaceae    . 
Styracacese 

Tamariscineae    . 
Umbelliferae 
Violaceae 
Zygophyllacese  . 

Figwort 
Nightshade 
Storax 

.     Tamarisk 
.      .     Parsley 
.      .     Violet 
Caltrop 

254 


INDEX  TO  FLOWERS  BY  COLOR 


WHITE,  or  WHITISH 

1 .     Flowers  clustered  or  racemose 

MUILLA.  Small  (tinged  with  green)  wheel- 
shaped  flowers  in  umbels. 

DESERT  LILY.  Suggesting  an  Easter  Lily; 
in  racemes;  basal  leaves  long  and  crinkly. 

WASHINGTON  LILY.  Horizontal,  fragrant;  in 
pyramidal  racemes. 

OUR  LORD'S  CANDLE.  A  huge  panicle  rising 
out  of  a.  round  mass  of  dagger-like  leaves. 

SOAP  PLANT.  Small  with  recurved  segments; 
in  loose,  wide-spreading  panicles;  opening 
in  the  afternoon. 

ZYGADENE.  Star-like  with  a  greenish  spot 
at  base  of  each  segment;  in  racemes  or  pan- 
icles. 

SQUAW  GRASS.  Dense  racemes;  leaves  grass- 
like  in  a  large  basal  tuft. 


KNOTWEED.  In  dense  spikes,  a  plant  of  wet 
mountain  meadows. 

MINER'S  LETTUCE.  Small  flowers  in  racemes, 
rising  out  of  two  united  leaves  that  make  a 
cup  around  the  stem. 

GHOST  FLOWER.  Whole  plant  pure  white, 
the  leaves  reduced  to  scales. 

INSIDE-OUT  FLOWER.  Small,  drooping,  num- 
erous in  a  loose  panicle. 

PEPPER-ROOT.     In  loose  racemes,  4  petals. 

WHIPPLEA.  Small,  calyx  and  corolla  colored 
alike,  in  clusters  at  branch-ends. 

ALUM-ROOT.  In  a  loose,  feathery  panicle; 
leaves  basal. 

RATTLE  WEED.  Pea-like,  narrow;  leaves  pin- 
nate; seedpods  inflated  like  bladders. 

EULOPHUS.  In  long-stalked  compound  um- 
bels. In  damp  mountain  meadows. 

SALAL.  LTrn-shaped,  in  racemes.  A  low, 
evergreen  shrub. 


255 


PINE  DROPS,  In  a  many-flowered  raceme. 
Plant  leafless,  brownish  red. 

SHOOTING  STAR.  Corolla  lobes  sharply  turned 
back  as  in  cyclamen. 

SEA  PINK.  In  clustered  heads  with  chaffy 
bracts.  Seaside. 

WOOLLY  MILKWEED.  Corolla  with  reflexed 
divisions,  in  umbels;  milky  juice. 

POPCORN  FLOWER.  Small  but  numerous  in  fist 
like  coiled  clusters. 

PITCHER  SAGE.  Large,  with  purplish  tinge, 
pitcher-shaped.  Aromatic. 

WHITE  SAGE.  Corolla  2-lipped,  the  lower  ruf- 
fled; in  panicles.  Shrubby,  with  whitish, 
aromatic  leaves. 

HOREHOUND.  Small,  crowded  in  dense  clus- 
ters. Leaves  gray-green,  wrinkled. 

BLACK  NIGHTSHADE.  Small,  wheel-shaped, 
anthers  forming  a  yellow  cone  at  centre. 

COULTER'S  SNAPDRAGON.  2-lipped,  the  lower 
much  puffed  out;  in  spikes. 


ELDER.  Small  in  flat-topped  clusters.  A 
shrub  or  tree. 

2.     Flowers  solitary,  or  nearly  or  apparently  so 

FAIRY  BELLS.  Small,  bell-shaped  flowers  on 
slender  stalks  almost  hidden  beneath  the 
leaves. 

CALIFORNIA  WAKE  ROBIN.  Flower  sessile 
upon  a  whorl  of  leaves. 

LANTERN  OF  THE  FAIRIES.  Globe-like,  nod- 
ding; at  tips  of  the  branches. 

MARIPOSA  TULIP.  Tulip-like,  with  a  dark  red 
blotch  at  the  base  of  each  petal. 

YERBA  MANSA.  Flowers  in  a  conical  spike  in 
the  midst  of  white  bracts;  leaves  like  a  dock. 

ICE  PLANT.  Very  numerous  linear  petals; 
seaside  plant  with  a  glistening  encrustation 

BITTER-ROOT.  Large  flowers  opening  in  the 
sunshine;  on  a  low  plant  with  thick  linear 
leaves. 

PRICKLY  POPPY.     Large,  with  crumpled  petals, 

256 


a  golden  centre  of  many  yellow  stamens;  a 
prickly  herb. 

CREAM-CUPS.    Solitary  on  leafless  flower  stalks. 

MOUNTAIN  MISERY.  In  few-flowered  ter- 
minal clusters,  resembling  strawberry  blos- 
soms; plant  resinous. 

\VooD  SORREL.     Solitary,  leaves  clover-like. 

STRAWBERRY  CACTUS.  Small;  a  little  round 
cactus  bearing  a  scarlet  berry. 

DESERT  EVENING  PRIMROSE.  Single  on  long 
axillary  peduncles,  turning  gradually  pink. 

WHITE  HEATHER.  Solitary  from  axils  of 
seed-like  leaves.  Sub-alpine. 

PRINCE'S  PINE.  Petals  roundish,  concave, 
and  turned  back. 

EVENING  SNOW.  Salver-form,  fragrant, 
brownish  outside.  Opening  toward  eve- 
ning. 

SPOTTED  NEMOPHILA.  Saucer-shaped,  a  pur- 
ple blotch  at  tip  of  each  corolla  lobe. 

YERBA  BUENA.  Small,  solitary  on  axillary 
footstalks.  A  fragrant,  creeping  vine. 


TOLUACHE.  Trumpet-shaped,  wilting  after 
noon. 

3.    Flowers  composite;  herbs 

WHITE    DAISY.     Yellow    disk;    stalk    sticky 

above. 
TELEGRAPH     PLANT.     Florets     strap-shaped, 

sessile  on  wand-like  branches — open   only 

in  morning. 

CH^NACTIS.     Without  rays,  in  leafless  panicles. 
TAR  WEED.     Rays  3-lobed,   opening  in  the 

sunshine.     A  sticky  annual. 

4.     Shrubs,  Climbing  Vines  or  Trees 

JOSHUA  TREE.  Small,  gjrotesque  tree,  flowers 
clustered  at  ends  of  limbs  with  dagger-like 
leaves. 

WILD  BUCKWHEAT.  Small  shrub;  flowers  in 
dense  terminal  heads. 


257 


WILD  CLEMATIS.  A  woody  vine,  with  panicles 
of  creamy  white  flowers. 

MATILIJA  POPPY.  Similar  to  Prickly  Poppy 
in  flower,  but  the  plant  a  smooth  shrub. 

SYRINGA.  Large,  fragrant,  in  terminal  pan- 
icles; a  shrub. 

ISLAY.  In  rather  dense  axillary  racemes.  An 
evergreen  shrub  or  small  tree. 

THIMBLE-BERRY.  In  few  flowered  clusters 
terminal  on  long  stems.  A  shrubby  bush. 

CHAMISE.  Small,  in  showy,  crowded  panicles; 
a  shrub  of  the  foothills,  with  needle-like 
leaves. 

CALIFORNIA  HOLLY.  Small,  in  dense  panicles; 
an  evergreen  shrub  or  small  tree. 

MOUNTAIN  MAHOGANY.  Inconspicuous  flow- 
ers without  corolla,  resembling  a  tiny  cup 
full  of  stamens. 

LEMONADE  BERRY.  Small  in  dense  clusters. 
A  stout  evergreen  shrub. 

SUMAC.  Small  in  showy,  terminal  panicles. 
An  evergreen  shrub. 


CALIFORNIA  BUCKEYE.  Irregular  corollas  in 
dense  showy  panicles.  A  shrub  or  low  tree. 

DEER-BRUSH.  Petals  small  with  a  long  claw 
ending  in  a  little  hood;  in  showy  feathery 
clusters;  a  mountain  shrub. 

NUTTALL'S  DOGWOOD.  Conspicuous  white 
bracts  encircling  a  button-like  cluster  of 
little  greenish  flowers. .  A  small  tree. 

CALIFORNIA  HUCKLEBERRY.  Small,  waxen, 
bellshaped.  A  shrub. 

MADRONO.  Waxen,  urn-shaped  in  large  showy 
clusters.  A  tree. 

MANZANITA.  Urn-shaped  in  short  racemes;  a 
smooth,  red-barked  shrub. 

WESTERN  AZALEA.  Showy,  fragrant,  a  yellow 
blotch  on  one  petal.  A  mountain  shrub. 

CALIFORNIA  STORAX.  Bell-shaped  in  droop- 
ing racemes;  shrub. 

BIG  ROOT.  Rather  small,  wheel-shaped,  in 
axillary  racemes.  An  herbaceous  vine. 

GUATAMOTE.     Composite,  small,  without  rays; 

a  willow-like  shrub  along  water  courses. 
258 


YELLOW  OR  ORANGE 

1.     Flowers  clustered  or  racemose 

LEOPARD  LILY.  Nodding  in  pyramidal  ra- 
cemes; tips  rolled  back. 

GOLDEN  STARS.  Numerous  star-like  flowers 
in  umbels  on  long  stalks;  filaments  not 
winged. 

GOLDEN  BRODLEA.  Flowers  funnel-formed, 
filaments  winged. 

MESCAL.  Panicled  on  a  stalk  8  to  10  feet 
high,  from  clustered  basal,  dagger-like 
leaves.  Desert. 

DESERT  TRUMPET.  A  desert  plant  with  tiny 
flowers  and  inflated  stalks,  swelling  grad- 
ually upward. 

SULPHUR  FLOWER.  Umbeled  heads  on  stalks 
from  a  rosette  of  grayish  green  leaves;  a 
mountain  plant. 

CALIFORNIA  BUTTERCUP.  Petals  (10  to  15) 
shining  yellow. 


GOLDEN  EAR-DROPS.  Flattened,  heart-shaped 
flowers. 

WILD  MUSTARD.  Tall,  branching,  herbaceous 
plants,  sometimes  12  feet  high,  often  form- 
ing thickets. 

ORANGE  WALL-FLOWER.  In  showy  racemes, 
somewhat  fragrant. 

LUPINE  (STIVERS').  Pea-like,  with  yellow 
banner,  rose  pink  lateral  petals. 

BUTTER-AND-EGGS.  2-lipped,  the  lower  in- 
flated with  3  sacs;  upper  lip  purple. 

YELLOW  MONKEY  FLOWER.  In  racemes;  cor- 
olla 2-lipped,  the  bright  yellow  lower  lip 
often  blotched  with  brown. 

MUSK.  2-lipped,  in  pairs  in  axils  of  upper 
leaves;  musk  scented,  plant  of  damp,  places. 

MULLEIN.  Flat  wheel-shaped,  stamens 
bearded  with  violet  wool. 

FENNEL.  In  compound,  flat  umbels.  Leaves 
very  finely  dissected,  with  a  fragrance  of 
licorice. 


259 


WILD  BOUVARDIA.  Funnel  form,  in  salmon- 
colored  hemispherical  heads. 

WHISPERING  BELLS.  Bell-shaped,  drooping  on 
thread-like  stalks. 

FIDDLENECK.     In  coiled  spikes.     Hairy. 


2.     Flowers  solitary,  or  nearly  or  apparently  so 

GOLDEN   TULIP.     Cup-shaped,   rather   small, 

purplish  within,  grass-like  leaves. 
CHAMISE  LILY.     Lily-like  flowers  in  a  loose 

raceme,  on  a  stalk  from  2  mottled,  basal 

leaves. 
CALIFORNIA  POPPY.     Solitary,  2  to  4  inches  in 

diameter,  cup-shaped. 
BUR-CLOVER.     Small,  pea-like,  2  or  3  together 

on  an  axillary  footstalk. 
MEADOW     FOAM.      Solitary,      conspicuously 

veined;  leaves  much  dissected. 
MOCK  ORANGE.     Bell-shaped  with  recurving 

lobes;  solitary.     A  prostrate  vine. 


MOHAVEA.     Somewhat     bell-shaped,     purple 

dotted;  a  delicate  desert  annual. 
WILD    PANSY.     Upper    petals    tinged    with 

brown  outside. 
CREEPING    VIOLET.     Small;    plant    prostrate 

and  creeping. 
BLAZING  STAR.     Petals  terminating  in  pointed 

tips;  stamens  very  numerous. 
CHOLLA.     A  cactus  with  cylindrical,  jointed 

stems. 

NOPAL.     A  cactus  with  flat,  jointed  stems. 
BISNAGA.     Flowers  in  a  circle  at  top  of  a  large 

cylindric  plant  of  the  desert. 
SUNCUPS.     Axillary  on  leafy  stems;  stigma  a 

tiny  round  ball;  seed  vessels  twisted. 
BEACH    PRIMROSE.     Turning    greenish    when 

withering.     A  gray  plant  of  the  sea-beaches. 

3.     Flowers  composite;  herbs 

TIDY-TIPS.     Rays  usually  tipped  with  white; 

solitary. 
260 


MALACOTHRIX.  Florets  strap-shaped;  leaves 
basal. 

YELLOW  DAISY.  Disk  florets  yellow;  coreop- 
sis-like. 

SEA  DAHLIA.  Disk  yellow;  solitary  and  large; 
fleshy  leaved  seaside  plants. 

CALIFORNIA  SAGE  BRUSH.  No  rays,  incon- 
spicuous, clustered,  nodding  in  panicled  race- 
mes. An  aromatic  shrub  with  finely  dis- 
sected leaves. 

GUM  PLANT.  Disk  yellow;  buds  sticky  with 
a  whitish  gum. 

MULE  EARS.  Large,  disk  yellow;  leaves  of 
upright  habit. 

TAR  WEED.  Disk  yellow,  a  dark  red  spot  at 
base  of  each  ray ;  opening  at  evening.  Plants 
sticky. 

PINCUSHION.  Disk  yellow,  marginal  florets 
with  a  fan-like  limb. 

SNEEZEWEED.  With  spherical  disk,  and  in- 
conspicuous drooping  rays. 


DOUGLAS'S  GROUNDSEL.  Rays  narrowish, 
disk  yellow,  leaves  white  woolly. 

BRASS  BUTTONS.  Without  rays,  solitary. 
Wet  places. 

MANZANILLA.  Without  rays,  disk  egg-shaped. 
A  small  plant  with  fragrance  of  apples. 

ERIOPHYLLUM.  Ray  florets  with  rather  round- 
ish limbs;  in  crowded  flat-topped  clus- 
ters. 

CONE  FLOWER.  With  a  conspicuous  brownish- 
purple  disk  becoming  conical  hi  age. 

SUNSHINE.  Base  and  margins  of  involucre 
white  with  hairs.  A  desert  herb. 

WILD  SUNFLOWER.  Dark  disk;  a  tall,  rough, 
branching  annual. 

BAILEYA.  Rays  short,  pale,  and  reflexed  at 
maturity.  A  desert  annual. 

VENEGASIA.     Showy,  resembling  a  sunflower. 

STAR  THISTLE.  Small  thistle-like  heads  of 
tubular  yellow  disk  florets;  no  rays. 

WESTERN  DANDELION.  Florets  strap-shaped. 
Leaves  basal. 


261 


RABBIT  BRUSH.  Small,  without  rays,  flat- 
clustered;  bushy  shrub. 

DESERT  SAGE  BRUSH.  No  rays,  inconspicuous 
leaves  wedge-shaped,  3-toothed.  Desert 
and  desert  borders. 

4.     Shrubs,  Climbing  Vines  or  Trees 

OREGON  GRAPE.  In  terminal,  clustered  ra- 
cemes; leaves  odd-pinnate;  a  shrub. 

TREE  POPPY.  A  shrub  with  willow-like  leaves; 
flowers  solitary  on  the  bfanchlets. 

BLADDER  POD.  In  terminal  racemes;  soon 
developing  long-stalked,  bladdery  seed 
pods;  a  shrub. 

YELLOW  WILD  CURRANT.  Both  calyx  and 
petals  yellow;  in  green  bracted  racemes 
scattered  along  the  branches;  a  shrub. 

YELLOW  LUPINE.  Pea-like,  in  long  racemes; 
a  shrub  of  the  seaside  sands. 

DEER- WEED.  Pea-like,  small,  turning  reddish, 
in  umbels.  A  woody  perennial  of  the  hills. 


MESQUIT.     In  dense,  cylindric,  narrow  spikes. 

A  desert  tree. 
CREOSOTE     BUSH.     Solitary,     the     5     petals 

twisted   edgewise   to   the   light.     A   desert 

shrub. 
RABBIT   BRUSH.     Composite;   small,   without 

rays,  flat-clustered;  a  bushy  shrub  'of  the 

desert  and  desert  borders. 
CALIFORNIA    SAGE    BRUSH.     Composite,    no 

rays,   inconspicuous,   clustered,   nodding  in 

panicled     racemes.     An     aromatic     shrub 

with  finely  dissected  leaves. 
DESERT  SAGE  BRUSH.     Composite,  no  rays, 

inconspicuous;     leaves     wedge-shaped,     3- 

toothed.     Desert  and  desert  borders. 
STICKY  MONKEY  FLOWER.     Funnel-form,  with 

ragged-edged  lobes,  on  axillary  footstalks; 

salmon  color. 
YELLOW    BEARD-TONGUE.     Corolla    2-lipped, 

arched  above,  and  gaping. 
SQUAW  BUSH.     Small,  in  spike-like  clusters  be- 
fore the  leaves.     A  shrub. 


262 


FEEMONTIA.  Without  petals,  the  calyx  cor- 
olla-like. A  small  tree  with  leathery  leaves. 

TREE  TOBACCO.  Tubular  in  loose  panicles. 
Shrub  or  small  tree. 

INCIENSO.  Composite,  rays  and  disk  alike 
yellow;  leaves  silvery  white;  a  desert  shrub. 

ENCELIA.  Composite,  rays  yellow,  brownish 
purple  disk. 


RED 

(Including  Reddish  Purple) 
1.     Flowers  clustered  or  racemose 

FIRECRACKER  FLOWER.  Tubular,  in  a  loose 
umbel  like  a  little  bunch  of  firecrackers  on 
a  stalk. 

CLINTONIA.  Many-flowered  globose  umbels; 
leaves  radical. 

TURKISH  RUGGING.     A  much  branched,  brittle, 


practically  leafless  little  plant  of  the  dry 

hillsides. 
CALIFORNIA  FOUR  O'CLOCK.    Open  bell  shaped, 

expanding  about  mid-afternoon. 
RED  MAIDS.     Loose,  leafy  racemes;  common 

in  grassy  places. 
RED  COLUMBINE.     Petals  produced  downward 

into  long  hollow  spurs. 
SCARLET  LARKSPUR.     Upper  sepal  prolonged 

backward  into  a  spur. 

HEN-AND-CHICKENS.     Corolla  cylindrical,  pet- 
als upright. 
GOLONDRINA.     Inconspicuous  in  a  cup-shaped 

involucre,   margined  with    white    or    rosy 

appendages  resembling  petals.     A  prostrate 

little  plant  with  milky  juice. 
DESERT    MALLOW.     Brick-red,    in   wand-like 

panicles. 
WILD  FUCHSIA.     Funnel-form,  both  calyx  and 

corolla  colored. 
FAREWELL-TO-SPRING.       Funnel-form,     calyx 

tube  produced  above  the  ovary,  the  lobe 
263 


more  or  less  cohering  and  turned  to  one 
side. 

HEATHER.  Saucer-shaped  in  clusters.  High- 
mountain  plant. 

SNOW  PLANT.  A  fleshy,  leafless,  columnar 
plant,  red  throughout. 

SIERRA  PRIMROSE.  In  umbels.  High-moun- 
tain plant. 

CALIFORNIA  BEE  PLANT.  Corolla  globular, 
upper  lip  erect. 

CHINESE  HOUSES.  2-lipped,  the  upper  white; 
in  a  series  of  interrupted  whorls. 

INDIAN  PAINT  BRUSH.  In  spikes;  corolla 
hidden  in  brightly  colored  calyx. 

INDIAN  WARRIOR.  2-lipped,  compressed  at 
sides  and  arched  above;. in  spikes. 

OWL'S  CLOVER.  2-lipped,  the  lower  sac-like 
and  white;  in  dense  spikes. 

SCARLET  MONKEY  FLOWER.  2-lipped;  the 
upper  erect,  the  lower  turned  back. 

CRIMSON  MONKEY  FLOWER.  Funnel-form 
with  a  yellow  centre;  sticky,  hairy. 


SCARLET  BUGLER.  Tubular,  in  narrow  pani- 
cles. 

WESTERN  CARDINAL  FLOWER.  2-lipped,  co- 
rolla tube  split  down  the  upper  side. 

CANON  LUPINE.  Pea-like,  in  long,  terminal 
racemes,  tending  to  pink. 

2.     Flowers  solitary  or  nearly  or  apparently  so 

CALIFORNIA    WAKE    ROBIN.     Flower    sessile 

upon  a  whorl  of  3  leaves. 
DESERT  MARIPOSA  TULIP.     Tulip-like  flowers 

of  the  desert  region. 

FIG  MARIGOLD.     Very  numerous  linear  pet- 
als; seaside  plant  with  fleshy,  3-sided  leaves. 
BITTER-ROOT.     Large  flowers,  opening  in  the 

sunshine  on  a  low  plant  with  thick,  linear 

leaves. 
INDIAN  PINK.     Petals  deeply  slashed  into  4 

narrow  divisions. 
WILD  PEONY.     Flowers  globular  in  form;  a 

dark  crimson. 


264 


FLAMING  POPPY.     Petals  fugacious. 

HEDGEHOG  CACTUS.  Showy  with  green  stig- 
mas; the  plant  a  cluster  of  short,  cylindrical 
heads. 

PIMPERNEL.  Wheel-shaped,  on  thread-like 
axillary  footstalks. 

3.     Flowers    composite;    herbs 

MILK  THISTLE.  With  thistle-like  heads  of 
tubular  florets.  Leaves  blotched  with 
white. 

WESTERX  THISTLE.  Thistle-like  heads,  soli- 
tary on  long  peduncles. 

4.     Shrubs,  Climbing  Vines  or  Trees 

SWEET  SHRUB.  Petals,  sepals,  and  stamens 
passing  into  one  another. 

WILD  GOOSEBERRY.  Drooping  in  few-flow- 
ered racemes,  scattered  along  prickly 
branches;  a  shrub. 


PRIDE  OF  CALIFORNIA.  Pea-like,  the  banner 
(an  inch  long)  leaning  back  upon  the  flower 
stalk.  A  vine. 

OCOTILLO.  Tubular  in  terminal  spikes,  on 
thorny,  whip-like,  leafy  stalks;  a  desert 
shrub. 

SCARLET  HONEYSUCKLE.  2-lipped,  and  nar- 
row, stamens  and  pistils  included  in  pro- 
truding lower  lip.  Vine-like. 

CHUPAROSA.  Tubular,  2-lipped;  an  almost 
leafless  desert  shrub. 

ARROW-WEED.  Composite,  small,  without 
rays,  clustered;  a  grayish  shrub  of  wet 
places. 

PINK 

1.     Flowers  clustered  or  racemose 

TWTNING  WILD  HYACINTH.     In  a  many-flow- 
ered umbel  at  the  top  of  a  leafless,  twisting, 
vine-like  stem. 
265 


CLINTONIA.  Many-flowered  globose  umbel; 
leaves  radical. 

SAND  VERBENA.  A  low  trailing  plant  of  sea- 
coast  and  desert;  many-flowered,  long- 
stalked  heads. 

PUSSY  PAWS.  Cushion-like  clusters;  leaves  in 
a  basal  rosette. 

BLEEDING  HEART.  Flattened,  heart-shaped 
flowers. 

INDIAN  RHUBARB.  In  panicles,  blooming 
before  the  leaves,  which  appear  in  summer 
1  to  2  feet  across. 

LUPINE  (STIVERS').  Pea-like,  with  yellow- 
banner  and  rose-pink  lateral  petals. 

CANON  LUPINE.  Pea-like,  in  showy  terminal 
racemes  a  foot  long. 

WILD  CLOVER.  In  broad,  flattish  heads  an 
inch  across. 

FILAREE.     Small  in  few-flowered  umbels. 

WILD  HOLLYHOCK.  In  terminal  racemes;  stem 
leaves  much  divided. 


CLARKIA      (Elegans).      Petals      rhomboidal, 

abruptly  narrowed  to  slender  claws. 
CLARKIA  (Concinna).     Petals  with  3  terminal 

lobes. 
JEFFREY'S  SHOOTING  STAR.     Petals  strongly 

turned  back,  like  cyclamen. 
SEA  PINK.     In  clustered  heads  with  chaffy 

bracts.     Seaside. 
CANCHALAGUA.     Star-like,    with   yellow    eye, 

in  a  loose  panicle. 
FRINGED  GILIA.     Funnel-form,  with  a  yellow 

throat,  corolla  segments  fringed. 
PRICKLY  PHLOX.     Salver-form,  with  a  white 

centre;  leaves  crowded,  needle-like. 

2.     Flowers  solitary,  or  nearly  or  apparently  so 

ICE  PLANT.  Very  numerous  linear  petals; 
seaside  plant  with  a  glistening  •  encrusta- 
tion. 

WOOD  SORREL.  Solitary,  leaves  clover- 
like. 


3.       Shrubs,   Climbing   Vines  or   Trees 

WILD  BUCKWHEAT.     Small  shrub;  flowers  in 

dense  terminal  heads. 
PINK  WILD  CURRANT.     Calyx  colored  like  a 

corolla,  in  long,  drooping  racemes;  a  shrub. 
THIMBLE-BERRY.     In     few-flowered     clusters 

terminal     on     long     stems.      A     shrubby 

bush. 
CALIFORNIA    WILD    ROSE.     Flowers    1    to   2 

inches  across. 
LEMONADE  BERRY.     Small  in  dense  clusters. 

A  stout,  evergreen  shrub. 
MALVA  ROSA.     About  2  inches  across,  single, 

on     axillary     drooping    footstalks;     leaves 

maple-like. 
CALIFORNIA    HUCKLEBERRY.     Small,    waxen, 

bell-shaped.     A  shrub. 
WESTERN  AZALEA.     Showy,  a  yellow  blotch  on 

one  petal.     A  mountain  shrub. 
ROSE  BAY.     In  terminal  umbels  without  frag- 
rance.    An  evergreen  shrub. 


SALAL.     Urn-shaped,    in    racemes.     A     low, 
evergreen  shrub. 

BLUE 

(Including  Bluish  Purple) 
1 .     Flowers  clustered  or  racemose 

BRODLEA.     Flowers  in  compact  heads  on  tall 

stalks;  leaves  grass-like. 
HARVEST    BRODLEA.     Like   small   blue   lilies 

bunched  at  the  top  of  a  leafless  stalk. 
CAMASS.     Loose  racemes  of  6-parted  flowers 

on  scapes  a  foot  or  two  high. 
BLUE-EYED-GRASS.     Star-like   with    a   yellow 

centre.     Leaves  grass-like. 
BLUE     LARKSPUR.     Upper     sepal     produced 

backward  into  a  spur. 
MONKSHOOD.     One    enlarged     sepal     shaped 

like  a  hood. 

WILD  RADISH  .     4  petals,  forming  a  cross. 
267 


BEACH  BLUB  LUPINE.  Pea-like,  the  banner 
with  a  yellow  spot;  in  racemes.  Shrubby. 

WILD  CLOVER.  In  broad,  flattish  heads  an 
inch  across. 

WILD  HOLLYHOCK.  In  terminal  racemes; 
stem  leaves  much  divided. 

BIRD'S  EYE.  Funnel-form,  5  purple  spots  at 
the  throat;  in  few-flowered  clusters. 

BLUE  GILIA.  Corollas  rather  small  in  crowded 
heads. 

WILD  HELIOTROPE.  In  clustered  coils,  un- 
rolling as  flowers  expand. 

WILD  CANTERBURY  BELL.  Large,  bell- 
shaped,  in  loose  racemes. 

TURPENTINE  WEED.  A  one-sided  raceme; 
stamens  exserted  and  curving;  odorous  of 
turpentine. 

PENNYROYAL.  In  crowded  heads  with]purplish 
bracts.  Aromatic. 

CHIA.  Small,  in  interrupted  whorls,  with 
purplish,  prickly  bracts. 

VIOLET  NIGHTSHADE.    Saucer-shaped,  showy, 


with  green-encircled  white  spots  at  centre; 

in  umbeled  clusters. 
CHINESE  HOUSES.     2-lipped,  the  upper  white; 

in  a  series  of  interrupted  whorls. 
BLUE  BEARD-TONGUE.     Funnel-form,  inflated 

at  throat,  in  showy  panicles.      Upper  leaves 

joined  at  base. 
VIOLET     BEARD-TONGUE.      Funnel-form,    2- 

lipped;  in  narrow  panicles. 
CALIFORNIA     HAREBELL.     Bell-shaped     with 

5  slender,  recurving  lobes. 

2.     Flowers  solitary,  or  nearly  or  apparently  so 

FETID    ADDER'S    TONGUE.     Petals    upright, 
thread-like;  sepals  whitish,  purple-striped. 

CALIFORNIA    WAKE    ROBIN.     Flower    sessile 
upon  a  whorl  of  3  leaves. 

BLUE  FLAG.     Stemless  plants  forming  mats 
over  the  ground. 

BABY-BLUE-EYES.     With  a  white  centre;  soli- 
tary. 
268 


3.     Flowers  composite;  herb 

ARTICHOKE.  Composite;  huge  thistle-like 
heads;  ample  leaves  silvery  green. 

4.     Shrubs  or  Trees 

DALEA.  Pea-like,  in  loose  clusters.  A  desert 
shrub. 

CALIFORNIA  LILAC.  Petals  small  with  a  long 
claw  ending  in  a  little  hood;  in  showy  pan- 
icles; a  shrub  or  small  tree. 

ROMERO.  Flowers  clothed  in  violet  wool; 
stamens  exserted  and  curving.  Small  shrub. 

BLADDER  BUSH.  2-lipped,  the  lower  blue,  the 
upper  white.  Calyx  bladder-like  in  age. 

LAVENDER  or  LILAC 

FIVE-SPOT.  Globe-like,  the  petalsVith  a  red- 
dish spot  at  base.  A  desert  plant. 

SHOOTING  STAR.  Corolla  lobes  sharply  turned 
back,  as  in  cyclamen. 


PRICKLY  PHLOX.  Salver-form,  with  a  white 
centre;  leaves  crowded,  needle-like. 

LARGE-FLOWERED  PHACELIA.  Saucer-shaped, 
showy,  in  loose  racemes. 

YERBA  SANTA.  Funnel-form,  in  coils  of  a 
terminal  panicle;  shrub  with  resinous  leaves. 

BLACK  SAGE.  Flowers  small,  2-lipped,  in 
dense  interrupted  whorls.  Shrubby,  aro- 
matic. 

THISTLE  SAGE.  Flowers  2-lipped,  lower  lip 
fan-shaped;  woolly,  globular  heads. 

GIANT  HYSSOP.  Small,  in  crowded  spikes; 
plant  nettle-like  in  appearance. 

SEASIDE  DAISY.  Composite,  numerous,  very 
narrow  rays.  Seaside. 

MARIPOSA  TULIP.  Tulip-like,  a  dark  red 
blotch  at  base  of  each  petal. 

GREENISH 

MUILLA.  Small,  wheel-shaped  flowers  in 
umbels. 


FALSE  HELLEBORE.     In  large  panicles;  plants 

3  to  7   feet   tall,    with   plaited   sheathing 

leaves. 
STREAM  ORCHIS.     A  leafy  orchid,  1  to  4  feet 

high  with  clasping,  parallel-nerved  leaves 

in  wet  places. 
CASTOR  OIL  PLANT.     In  terminal  racemes.     A 

tall,  herbaceous  plant  with  large  palmate 

leaves. 
SQUAW  BUSH.     Small  (yellowish)  in  spike-like 

clusters,  before  the  leaves.     A  shrub. 
CASCARA     SAGRADA.     Small,     in     umbel-like 

clusters.      An    evergreen    shrub    or    small 

tree. 
QUININE  BUSH.    In  drooping  catkins  of  2  sexes. 

A  shrub. 
CALIFORNIA    BEE-PLANT.     Corolla    globular, 

upper  lip  erect. 
BIRD-BEAK.     Nearly     hidden     within     green 


calyx,    upper    lip    beak-like    and    protrud- 
ing. 

BROWN 

MISSION  BELLS.  Nodding  in  a  raceme;  leaves 
in  whorls. 

CHOCOLATE  LILY.  Flowers  1  to  3,  leaves  scat- 
tered, mostly  near  the  base. 

LADY'S  SLIPPER.  Flower  an  inflated  sac,  2 
wavy-twisted  lateral  petals,  and  stringy 


WILD  GINGER.  Bell-shaped,  the  3  divisions 
extended  into  long  tails. 

CANCER  ROOT.  Small,  2-lipped,  solitary  on 
long  branched  stalks.  A  leafless  parasite. 

CONE  FLOWER.  Composite  with  yellow  rays, 
and  conspicuous  brownish  purple  disk  be- 
coming conical  in  age. 


270 


INDEX 


Abronia  latifolia,  46 
Abronia  umbellata,  46 
Abronia  villosa,  46 
Aconitum  columbianum,  58 
Adder's  Tongue,  Fetid,  7 
Adenostoma  fasciculatum,  87 
Adenostoma  sparsifolium,  87 
Aesculus  californica,  112 
As?astache  urticifolia,  186 
Agave  deserti,  32 
Ajo,  4 

Alfalfa,  Wild,  95 
Alpine  Smartweed,  43 
Alum-Root,   84 
Amole,  24 

Amsinckia  spectabilis,  173 
Anagallis  arvensis,  154 
Anemopsis  californica,  38 
Anis  Hinojo,  138 
Anise,  Sweet,  138 
Anogra  trichocalyx,  134 
Antirrhinum  Coulterianum,  194 
Antirrhinum  vagans,  194 


Aphyllon  fasciculatum,  211 
Aphyllon  tuberosum,  211 
Aquilegia  coerulea,  55 
Aquilegia  truncata,  55 
Arbutus  Menziesii,  142 
Arctostaphylos  Manzanita,  143 
Argemone  platyceras,  64 
Armeria  vulgaris,  156 
Arrow- Weed,  232 
Artichoke,  251 
Artemisia  californica,  239 
Artemisia  tridentata,  239 
Asarum  caudatum,  39 
Asarum  Hartwegi,  39 
Asclepias  eriocarpa,  159 
Aster,  Beach,  224 
Astragalus  leucopsis,  97 
Audibertia,  polys tachya,  180 
Audibertia  stachyoides,  181 
Azalea,  Western,  144 
Baby-Blue-Eyes,  166 
Baccharis  viminea,  231 
Baileya  Buultiradiata,  246 


271 


Baileya  pauciradiata,  246 

J?l  Barberry,  Creeping,  61 

Barrel  Cactus,  127 
Bastard  Cedar,  87 
Beach  Aster,  224 

Si  Beach  Blue  Lupine,  98 

Beach  Primrose,  136 
Beard-Tongue,  Blue,  204 
Beard-Tongue,  Violet,  205 

C  Beard-Tongue,  Yellow,  206 

Bear's  Clover,  91 
Beaver  Flower,  240 
Bee  Plant,  California,  191 

Sc  Bell-Flo wer,  California,  171 

Bells,  Fairy,  10 

^  Beloperone  californica,  212 

Berberis  Aquifolium,  61 
Berberis  repens,  61 
Bicuculla  formosa,  71 

~  Big  Root,  215 

Q  Bird-Beak,  192 

Bird's  Eye,  160 

C  Bisnaga,  127 

Bitter-root,  52 
Black  Nightshade,  188 

B:  Black  Sage,  181 

Bladder  Bush,  185 
Bladderpod,  76 
Blazing  Star,  124 


Bleeding  Heart,  71 
Blood-drops,  66 
Bloomeria  aurea,  12 
Bloomeria  Cleveland!,  12 
Blue  Beard-Tongue,  204 
Bluebell,  California,  171 
Blue  Columbine,  55 
Blue  Curls,  176 
Blue  Eyed  Grass,  33 
Blue  Flag,  34 
Blue  Gilia,  161 
Blue  Larkspur,  57 
Blue-weed,  58 
Boton  de  Oro,  242 
Bouvardia,  Wild,  165 
Brass  Buttons,  242 
Brassica  nigra,  72 
Brevoortia  Ida-Maise,  16 
Brodisea  capitata,  13 
Brodisea  coccinea,  16 
Brodisea,  Golden,  17 
Brodisea  gracilis,  17 
Brodisea  grandiflora,  15 
Brodisea,  Harvest,  15 
Brodisea  ixioides,  17 
Brodisea  laxa,  15 
Brodisea  volubilis,  14 
Bryanthus  Breweri,  146 
Buckeye,  California,  112 


272 


Buckwheat,  Wild,  41 
Buena  Moza,  190 
Buena  Mujer,  124 
Bur  Clover,  96 
Butter  and  Eggs,  198 
Buttercup,  California,  54 
Butter- Weed,  93 
Cacamita,  13 
Cachanilla,  232 
Cactus,  Barrel,  127 
Cactus,  Fishhook,  128 
Cactus,  Hedgehog,  129 
Cactus,  Nipple,  128 
Cactus,  Strawberry,  128 
California  Bee  Plant,  191 
California  Bell-Flower,  171 
California  Bluebell,  171 
California  Buckeye,  112 
California  Buttercup,  54 
California  Four  o'clock,  45 
California  Harebell,  216 
California  Holly,  88 
California  Huckleberry,  141 
California  Hyacinth,  13 
California  Lilac,  114 
California  Sage  Brush,  238 
California  Storax,  157 
California  Wake  Robin,  11 
California  Wild  Rose,  89 


Calochortus  albus,  18 
Calochortus  benthami,  21 
Calochortus  eatalinse,  19 
Calochartus  luteus,  22 
Calochortus  Kennedyi,  20 
Calochortus  Nuttallii,  18 
Calochortus  pulchellus,  18 
Calochortus,  Maweanus,  21 
Calycanthus  occidentalis,  63 
Calyptridium  umbellatum,  51 
Camass,  23 
Camass,  Death,  27 
Camassia  esculenta,  23 
Campanula  prenanthoides,  216 
Cancer  Root,  211 
Canchalagua,  158 
Candle,  Our  Lord's,  8 
Candlewood,  123 
Canon  Lupine,  94 
Canterbury  Bell,  WTild,  171 
Cardinal  Flower,  Western,  217 
Carduus  Drummondii,  250 
Carduus  occidentalis,  250 
Cascara  Sagrada,  113 
Cassiope  Mertensiana,  147 
Castilleia  foliolosa,  195 
Castor  Oil  Plant,  108 
Ceanothus  integerrimus,  115 
Ceanothus  thyrsiflorus,  114 


273 


Cedar,  Bastard,  87 
Celandrinia  cauleseens,  49 
Centaurea  melitensis,  248 
Cephalanthera  Austinae,  37 
Cephalanthera  oregana,  37 
Cercocarpus  betuloides,  90 
Cereus  Engelmanni,  129 
Cereus  giganteus,  129 
Chsenactis  Fremonti,  237 
Chsenactis  gabriuscla,  236 
Chamaebatia  foliosa,  91 
Chamise,  87 

Chamise  Lily,  28 

Chamissos  Lupine,  98 

Chaparral  Lily,  5 

Charlock,  Jointed,  73 

Chenactis  artemisjefotia,  237 

Cherry,  Wild,  85 

Chia,  184 

Chicalote,  64 

Chilicothe,  215 

Chimaphila  Menziesii,  149 

Chinese  Houses,  193 

Chlorogalum  pomeridianum,  24 

Chocolate  Lily,  26 

Cholla,  125 

Chorizanthe  staticoides,  40 
Christmas-Berry,  88 
Christmas  Rose,  60 


274 


Chrysothamnus  nauseosus,  230 

Chuparosa,  212 

Clarkia  concinna,  133 

Clarkia  elegans,  132 

Clarkia  pulchella,  133 

Clarkia  rhomboidea,  132 

Clematis  lasiantha,  59 

Clematis  ligusticifolia,  59 

Clematis,  Wild,  59 

Chntonia  Andrewsiana,  31 

Clmtonia  uniflora,  31 

Clocks,  104 

Clover,  Bur,  96 

Clover,  Wild,  100 

Cluster  Lily,  13 

Colhnsia  bicolor,  193 

Collinsia'tinctoria,  193 
Collomia  grandiflora,  165 
Columbine,  Blue,  55 
Columbine,  Red,  55 
Cone  Flower,  245 
Cordylanthus  filifolius,  192 
Cordylanthus  tenuis,  192 
Coreopsis,  Douglas,  226 
Cornus  Nuttallii,  140 
Cotula  australis,  242 
Cotula  coronopifolia,  242 
Cotyledon  pulverulenta,  77 
Coulter's  Snapdragon,  194 


Coyote-Tail,  197 
Cream-cups,  68 
Creeping  Barberry,  61 
Creeping  Violet,  122 
Creosote  Bush,  106 
Crimson, Monkey  Flower,  202 
Cucurbita  foetidissima,  214 
Currant,  Pink  Wild,  81 
Currant,  Yellow  Wild,  80 
Cyclamen,  Wild,  152 
Cynara  Scolymus,  251 
Cypripedium  californicum,  35 
Cypripedium  montanum,  35 
Dahlia,  Sea,  227 
Daisy,  Seaside,  224 
Daisy,  WTiite,  223 
Daisy,  Yellow,  226 
Dalea,  102 

Dalea  californica,  102 
Dalea  Schottii,  102 
Dalea  spinosa,  102 
Dandelion,  Western,  252 
Datura  meteloides,  187 
Death  Camass,  27 
Deer-Brush,  115 
Deerweed,  95 
Delphinium  cardinale,  56 
Delphinium  nudicaule,  56 
Delphinium  Parryi,  57 


Dendromeeon  rigidum,  67 
Dentaria  californica,  74 
Desert  Evening  Primrose,  134 
Desert  Lily,  4 
Desert  Mallow,  118  , 
Desert  Mariposa,  20 
Desert  Sage  Brush,  239 
Desert  Sunflower,  220 
Desert  Trumpet,  42 
Dicentra  chrysantha,  70 
Dicentra  formosa,  71 
Diplacus  glutinosus,  201 
Disporum  Menziesii,  10 
Dodocatheon  Cleveland!,  152 
Dodocatheon  Jeffreyi,  153 
Dog's-Tooth  Violet,  28 
Dogwood,  Nuttall's,  140 
Douglas  Coreopsis,  226 
Douglas's  Groundsel,  241 
Ear  Drops,  Golden,  70 
Echinocactus,  cylindraceus,  127 
Echinocystis  fabacea,  215 
Elder,  213 

Elephant-Heads,  196 
Ernmenanthe  penduliflora,  168 
Encelia  californica,  218 
Encelia  eriocephala,  220 
Encelia  farinosa,  219 
Epipactis  gigantea,  36 


275 


Erigeron  glaucus,  224 
Eriodictyon  glutinosum,  172 
Eriodictyon  tomentosum,  172 
Eriogonum  fasciculatum,  41 
Eriogonum  inflatum,  42 
Eriogonum  umbellatum,  44 
Eriophyllum  csespitosum,  244 
Eriophyllum  confertiflorum,  244 
ErooUum  cicutarium,  104 
Erysimum  asperum,  75 
Erysimum  grandiflorum,  75 
Erythrsea  venusta,  158 
Erythronium  giganteum,  28 
Eschscholtzia  californica,  69 
Eseobita,  197 

Eucharidium  concinnum,  133 
Eulophus  Bolanderi,  137 
Eulophus  Parishii,  137 
Euphorbia  albomarginata,  107 
Evening  Primrose,  Desert,  134 
Evening  Snow,  163 
Faeniculum  vulgare,  138 
Fairy  Bells,  10 
False  Hellebore,  30 
Farewell-to-Spring,  131 
Fennel,  138 

Fenzlia  dianthiflora,  162 
Fetid  Adder's  Tongue,  7 
Fiddle  Neck,  173 


Fig  Marigold,  48 

Filaree,  104 

Firecracker  Flower,  16 

Fishhook  Cactus,  128 

Five  Spot,  119 

Flaming  Poppy,  66 

Flat-top,  41 

Floerkea  Douglasii,  105 

Fouquiera  splendens,  123 

Four  o'Clock,  California,  45 

Fremontia  californica,  120 

Fried  Eggs,  64 

Fringed  Gilia,  162 

Fritillaria  biflora,  26 

Fritillaria  lattceolata,  25 

Fritillaria  liliacea,  26 

Fritillaria  pudica,  26 

Fritillaria  recurva,  26 

Fritillary,  Yellow,  26 

Fuchsia-flowered  Gooseberry,  79 

Fuchsia,  Wild,  130 

Gallito,  121 

Garrya  elliptica,  139 

Gaultheria  Shallon,  148 

Geraea  canescens,  220 

Ghost  Flower,  37 

Giant  Hyssop,  186 

Gilia  achillesefolia,  161 

Gilia  aggregata,  165 


276 


Gilia,  Blue,  161 
Gilia,  californica,  164 
Gilia  capitate,  161 
Gilia  dianthoides,  162 
Gilia  dichotoma,  163 
Gilia,  Finged,  162 
Gilia  grandiflora,  165 
Gilia  tricolor,  160 
Ginger,  Wild,  39 
Globe-tulip,  Yellow,  18 
Gobernadora,  106 
Godetia  Bottaw,  132 
Godetia  viminea,  131 
Gold  Drops,  10 
Golden  Broditea,  17 
Golden  Ear  Drops,  70 
Golden  Stars,  12 
Golden  Tulip,  22 
Golden  Yarrow,  244 
Golondrina,  107 
Gooseberry,  Wild,  79 
Grass  Nuts,  13 
Grease  wood,  87,  180 
Grindelia  cuneifolia,  229 
Grindelia  robusta,  229 
Groundsel,  Douglas's,  241 
Guatamote,  231 
Gum  Plant,  229 
Harebell,  California,  216 


Harvest  Brodisea,  15 
Heather,  146 
Heather,  White,  147 
Hedeondilla,  106 
Hedgehog  Cactus,  129 
Helenium  autumnale,  240 
Helenium  puberulem,  240 
Helianthus  annuus,  221 
Helianthus  tuberosus,  251 
Heliotrope,  Wild,  169 
Hellebore,  False,  30 
Hemizonia  luzulaefolia,  235 
Hen-and-Chickens,  77 
Hesperocallis  undulatus,  4 
Heteromeles  arbutifolia,  88 
Heuchera  micrantha,  84 
Highland  Potato,  15 
Higuerilla,  108 
Hill  Brush,  238 
Hog's  Potato,  27 
Holly,  California,  88 
Hollyhock,  WTild,  117 
Honeysuckle,  Scarlet,  208 
Horehound,  182 
Hosackia  glabra,  95 
Huckleberry,  California,  141 
Humboldt's  Lily,  6 
Humming-bird's  Dinner  Horn,  207 
Hunter's  Rock  Leek,  77 


277 


Hyacinth,  California,  13 
Hyacinth,  Wild  Twining,  14 
Hyssop,  Giant,  186 
Ice  Plant,  47 
Incense  Plant,  219 
Incense  Shrub,  81 
Incienso,  219 
Indian  Lettuce,  50 
Indian  Paint  Brush,  195 
Indian  Pink,  53 
Indian  Potatoes,  22 
Indian  Rhubarb,  83 
Indian  Warrior,  196 
Indigo-Bush,  102 
Inside-out  Flower,  62 
Iris  Douglasiana,  34 
Iris  Macrosiphon,  34 
Islay,  85 

Isomeris  arborea,  76 
Ithuriel's  Spear,  15 
Jeffrey's  Shooting  Star,  153 
Johnny  Tuck,  198 
Jointed  Charlock,  73 
Joshua  Tree,  9 
Kisses,  49 
Knotweed,  43 
Lady  Washington  Lily,  5 
Lady's  Slipper,  35 
Lantern  of  the  Fairies,  18 


Large-flowered  Phacelia,  170 
Larkspur,  Blue,  57 
Larkspur,  Scarlet,  56 
Larrea  Mexicana,  106 
Lathyrus  splendens,  99 
Lathyrus  vestitus,  99 
Lavatera  assurgentiflora,  116 
Layia  elegans,  222 
Layia  glandulosa,  223 
Layia  platyglossa,  222 
Leatherwood,  120 
Lemonade  Berry.  109 
Leopard  Lily,  6 
Leptosyne  Douglasii,  226 
Leptosyne  gigantea,  227 
Leptosyne  maritima,  227 
Lewisia  rediviva,  52 
Lilac,  California,  114 
Lilium  Humbpldtii,  6 
Lilium  pardalinum,  6 
Lilium  rubescens,  5 
Lilium  Washingtonianum,  5 
Lily,  Chamise,  28 
Lily,  Chaparral,  5 
Lily,  Chocolate,  26 
Lily,  Cluster,  13 
Lily,  Desert,  4 
Lily,  Humboldt's,  6 
Lily,  Leopard,  6 


278 


Lily,  Mariposa,  19 
Lily,  Redwood,  5 
Lily,  Sego,  18 
Lily,  Tiger,  6 
Lily,  Washington,  5 
Limnanthes,  Douglasii,  105 
Lobelia  splendens,  217 
Locoweed,  97 

Lophanthus  urticifolius,  186 
Lotus  glaber,  95 
Lupine,  92 

Lupine,  Beach  Blue,  98 
Lupine,  Canon,  94 
Lupine,  Chamisso's,  98 
Lupine,  Yellow,  93 
Lupinus  arboreus,  93 
Lupinus  Chamissonis,  98 
Lupinus  citrinus,  92 
Lupinus  cytisoides,  94 
Lupinus  luteolus,  93 
Lupinus  Stiversii,  92 
Madia  elegans,  234 
Madrono,  142 
Mahogany,  109 
Mahogany,  Mountain,  90 
Mahonia,  61 

Malaeothrix  californica,  225 
Malacothrix  glabrata,  225 
Mallow,  Desert,  118 


Mallow,  Spotted,  119 

Malva  Rosa,  116 

Malvastrum  rotundifolium,  119 

Mamillaria  Goodridgii,  128 

Mangla,  110 

Manzanilla,  243 

Manzanita,  143 

Mariposa,  Desert,  20 

Mariopsa  Lily,  19 

Mariposa  Tulip,  19 

Marrubium  vulgare,  182 

Matilija  Poppy,  65 

Matricaria  discoidea,  243 

May-Bush,  California,  88 

Meadow  Foam,  105 

Meconopsis  heterophylla,  66 

Medicago  denticulata,  96 

Medicago  lupulina,  96  • 

Mentzelia  Lindleyi,  124 

Mescal,  32 

Mesembryanthemum  aequilaterale,  48 

Mesembryanthemum  crystalh'num,  47 

Mesquit,  101 

Micromeria  Douglasii,  177 

Milk  Thistle,  249 

Milkmaids,  74 

Milkweed,  Woolly,  159 

Mimulus  Bigelovii,  202 

Mimulus  brevipes,  200 


279 


Mimulus  cardinalis,  190 
Mimulus  Douglasii,  202 
Mimulus  glutinosus,  201 
Mimulus  luteus,  200 
Mimulus  moschatus,  203 
Miner's  Lettuce,  50 
Mint,  Mustang,  178 
Mirabilis  californica,  45 
Mirabilis  Froebellii,  45 
Mission  Bells,  25 
Mock  Orange,  214 
Mohavea  viscida,  210 
Monardella  lanceolata,  178 
Monardella  odoratissima,  178 
Monkey  Flower,  Crimson,  202 
Monkey  Flower,  Scarlet,  199 
Monkey  Flower,  Sticky,  201 
Monkey  Flower,  Yellow,  200 
Monkshood,  58 
Montia  perfoliata,  50 
Mountain  Mahogany,  90 
Mountain  Misery,  91 
Mountain  Pennyroyal,  178 
Mountain  Pink,  164 
Mouse  Ears,  21 
Muilla  maritima,  3 
Muilla  serotina,  3 
Mule  Ears,  233 
Mullein,  209 


Musk,  203 
Mustang  Mint,  178 
Mustard,  Wild,  72 
Myrtle,  115 

Nemophila,  Spotted,  167 
Nemophila  insignis,  166 
Nemophila  maculata,  167 
Nicotiana  glauca,  190 
Nievitas,  174 
Nightshade,  Black,  188* 
Nightshade,  Violet,  189 
Nipple  Cactus,  128 
Nopal,  126 

Nuttall's  Dogwood,  140 
Ocotillo,  123 
Oenothera  bistorta,  135 
Oenothera  cheiranthifolia,  136 
Oenothera  ovata,  135 
Oenothera  trichocalyx,  134 
Opuntia  Bernardina,  125 
Opuntia  Ficus-Indica,  126 
Opuntia  Lindheimeri,  126 
Opuntia  Tuna,  126 
Orange  Wall-Flower,  75 
Orchis,  Phantom,  37 
Orchis,  Stream,  36 
Oregon  Grape,  61 
Orthocarpus  erianthus,  198 
Orthocarpus  lithospermoides,  197 


280 


Orthocarpus  purpurascens,  197 
Our  Lord's  Candle,  8 
Owl's  Clover,  197 
Oxalis  oregana,  103 
Pseonia  Brownii,  60 
Paint  Brush,  Indian,  195 
Paint  Brush,  Pink,  197 
Painted  Snow  Flower,  51 
Palma  Christi,  108 
Pansy,  Wild,  121 
Pea,  Wild,  99 
Pedicularis  attollens,  196 
Pedicularis  densiflora,  196 
Pedicularis  groenlandica,  196 
Pennyroyal,  Mountain,  178 
Pennyroyal,  Poleo,  178 
Penstemon  antirrhinoides,  206 
Penstemon  azureus,  205 
Penstemon  breviflorus,  206 
Penstemon  Bridgesii,  207 
Penstemon  centranthifolius,  207 
Penstemon  cordifolius,  208 
Penstemon  heterophyllus,  205 
Penstemoa  spectabilis,  204 
Penstemon  ternatus,  208 
Peony,  Wild,  60 
Pepper-Root,  74 
Persian  Prince,  183 
Phacelia,  Large-flowered,  170 


Phacelia  circinata,  170 

Phacelia  distans,  169 

Phacelia  grandiflora,  170 

Phacelia  tanacetifolia,  169 

Phacelia  Whitlavia,  171 

Phantom  Orchis,  37 

Philadelphia  Gordonianus,  78 

Philadelphus  Lewissii  californicus,  73 

Phlox,  Prickly,  164 

Pincushion,  236 

Pine  Drops,  151 

Pimpernel,  154 

Pink,  Indian,  53 

Pink  Paint  Brush,  197 

Pink  Wild  Currant,  81 

Pitcher  Sage,  179 

Plagiobothrys  nothofulvus,  174 

Platystemon  californicus,  68 

Pluchea  sericea,  232 

Poleo  Pennyroyal,  178 

Polygonum  bistortoides,  43 

Popcorn  Flower,  174 

Poppy,  California,  69 

Poppy,  Flaming,  66 

Poppy,  Matilija,  65 

Poppy,  Prickly,  64 

Poppy,  Tree,  67 

Porsartes,  Menziesii,  10 

Prickly  Pear   126 


281 


Prickly  Phlox,  164 
Prickly  Poppy,  64 
Pride  of  California,  99 
Primrose,  Beach,  136 
Primrose,  Sierra,  155 
Primula  suffrutescens,  155 
Prince's  Pine,  149 
Prosopis  juliflora,  101 
Prunus  ilicifolia,  85 
Pterospora  Andromedea,  151 
Ptiloria  virgata,  228 
Purslane,  Winter,  50 
Pussy  Paws,  51 
Pussy's  Ears,  21 
^uiote,  8 

Quinine  Bush,  139 
Quinine,  Wild,  158 
Rabbit  Brush,  230 
Radish,  Wild,  73 
Ramona,  180 

Ranunculus  californicus,  54 
Raphanus  Raphanistrum,  73 
Raphanus  sativus,  73 
Rattlesnake  Weed,  107 
Rattleweed,  97 
Red  Columbine,  55 
Red  Maids,  49 
Red  Shank,  87 
Redwood  Lily,  5 


Redwood  Rose,  89 

Rhamnus  californica,  113 

Rhamnus  Purshiana,  113 

Rhododendron  californicum,  145 

Rhododendron  occidentale,  144 

Rhubarb,  Indian,  83 

Rhus  integrifolia,  109 

Rhus  laurina,  110 

Rhus  ovata,  109 

Rhus  trilobata,  111 

Ribes  glutinosum,  81 

Ribes  malvaceum,  81 

Ribes  sanguineum,  81 

Ribes  speciosum,  79 

Ribes  tenuiflorum,  80 

Ricinus  communis,  108 

Romerillo,  238 

Romero,  175 

Romneya  Coulteri,  65 

Rosa  californica,  89 

Rosa  gymnocarpa,  89 

Rose  Bay,  145 

Rose,  California  Wild,  89 

Rose  of  Castile,  89 

Rose,  Redwood,  89 

Rosilla,  240 

Rubus  nutkanus,  86 

Rubus  parviflqrus,  86 

Rudbeckia  californica,  245 


282 


Rudbeckia  occidentalis,  245 
Sacate  gordo,  173 
Sage,  Black,  181 
Sage,  Pitcher,  179 
Sage,  Thistle,  183 
Sage,  White,  180 
Sage  Brush,  California,  238 
Sage  Brush,  Desert,  239 
Salal,  148 

Salazaria  mexicana,  185 
Salmon-Berry,  86 
Salvia  carduacea,  183 
Salvia  Columbariae,  184 
Sambucus  glauca,  213 
Sambucus  mexicana,  213 
San  Juan  Tree,  190 
Sand  Verbena,  46 
Sarcodes  sanguinea,  150 
Saxifraga  peltata,  83 
Scarlet  Bugler,  207 
Scarlet  Honeysuckle,  208 
Scarlet  Larkspur,  56 
Scarlet  Monkey  Flower,  199 
Scoliopus  Bigejpvii,  7 
Scoliopus  Hallii,  7 
Scrophularia  californica,  191 
Sea  Dahlia,  227 
Sea  Pink,  156 
Seaside  Daisy,  224 


Sego,  Lily,  18 
Senecio  Douglasii,  241 
Shooting  Star,  152 
Shooting  Star,  Jeffrey's,  153 
Sidalcea  humilis,  117 
Sierra  Primrose,  155 
Sierran  Dog  Violet,  122 
Silene  californica,  53 
Silene  laciniata,  53 
Silybum  Marianum,  249 
Sisyrinchium  bellum,  33 
Skunk  Cabbage,  30 
Slippery  Elm,  120 
Smartweed,  Alpine,  43 
Smoke-Tree,  102 
Snapdragon,  Coulter's,  194 
Sneezeweed,  240 
Snow  Plant,  150 
Soap  Plant,  24 
Solanum  Douglasii,  188 
Solanum  nigrum,  188 
Solanum  umbelliferum,  189 
Solanum  Xanti,  189 
Sorrel,  Wood,  103 
Sphacele  calycina,  179 
Sphaeralcea  ambigua,  118 
Sphseralcea  Emoryi,  118 
Sphseralcea  Munroana,  118 
Spotted  Mallow,  119 


283 


Spotted  Nemophila,  167 
Spice  Bush,  63 
Spraguea  umbellata,  51 
Squaw  Bush,  111 
Squaw  Grass,  29 
Squaw's  Cabbage,  50 
Star,  Blazing,  124 
Star  Thistle,  248 
Stephanomeria  virgata,  228 
Sticky  Monkey  Flower,  201 
Storax,  California,  157 
Strawberry  Cactus,  128 
Stream  Orchis,  36 
Styrax  californica,  157 
Sulphur  Flower,  44 
Sumac,  110 
Sun-Cups,  135 
Sunflower,  Desert,  220 
Sunflower,  Wild,  221 
Sunshine,  220 
Sweet  Anise,  138 
Sweet  Shrub,  63 
Syringa,  78 
Tarweed,  91,  234,  235 
Telegraph  Plant,  228 
Tessaria  borealis,  232 
Thimble-Berry,  86 
Thistle,  Milk,  249 
Thistle,  Star,  248 


Thistle,  Western,  250 
Thistle,  Poppy,  64 
Thistle  Sage,  183 
Tidy-Tips,  222 
Tiger  Lily,  6 
Tobacco,  Tree,'190 
Toluache,  187  " 
Toyon,  88 
Tree  Poppy,  67 
Tree  Tobacco,  190 
Tree  Yucca,  9 
Trichostema  lanatum,  175 
Trichostema  lanceolatum,  176 
Trifolium  tridentatum,  100 
Trillium  ovatum,  1 1 
Trillium  sessile,  11 
Troximon  grandiflorum,  252 
Trumpet,  Desert,  42 
Tulip,  Golden,  22 
Tulip,  Mariposa,  19 
Turkish  Rugging,  40 
Turpentine  Weed,  176 
Twining  Wild  Hyacinth,  14 
Vaccinium  ovatum,  141 
Vancouveria  parviflora,  62 
Venegasia  earpesioides,  247 
Veratrum  californicum,  30 
Veratrum  fimbriatum,  30 
Veratrum  viride,  30 


284 


Verbascum  virgatum,  209 
Verbena,  Sand,  46 
Vervenia,  169 
Vinegar,  Weed,  176 
Viola  oxyceras,  122 
Viola  pedunculata,  121 
Viola  sarmentosa,  122 
Violet,  Creeping,  122 
Violet,  Dog's-tooth,  28 
Violet,  Sierran  Dog,  122 
Violet,  Yellow,  121 
Violet  Beard-Tongue,  205 
Violet  Nightshade,  189 
Virgin's  Bower,  59 
Wall-Flower,  Orange,  75 
Wake  Robin,  California,  11 
Washington  Lily,  5 
Western  Azalea,  144 
Western  Cardinal  Flower,  217 
Western  Dandelion,  252 
Western  Thistle,  250 
Western  Wall-Flower,  75 
Whipplea  modesta,  82 
Whispering  Bells,  168 
White  Daisy,  223 
White  Heather,  147 
White  Sage,  180 
Whitlavia  grandiflora,  171 
Wild  Alfalfa,  95 


Wild  Bouvardia,  165 

Wild  Buckwheat,  41 

Wild  Canterbury  Bell,  171 

Wild  Cherry,  85 

Wild  Clematis,  59 

Wild  Clover,  100 

Wild  Currant,  Pink,  81 

Wild  Currant,  Yellow,  80 

Wild  Cyclamen,  152 

Wild  Fuchsia,  130 

Wild  Ginger,  39 

Wild  Gooseberry,  79 

Wild  Heliotrope,  169 

Wild  Hollyhock,  117 

Wild  Hyacinth,  Twining,  14 

Wild  Mustard,  72 

Wild  Onion,  13 

Wild  Pansy,  121 

Wild  Pea,  99 

Wild  Peony,  60 

Wild  Potatoes,  22 

Wild  Quinine,  158 

Wild  Radish,  73 

Wild  Rose,  California,  89 

Wild  Sunflower,  221 

Wind-Poppy,  66 

Wine-flower,  63 

Winter  Purslane,  50 

Wood  Sorrel,  103 


285 


Woolly  Milkweed,  159 
Wyethia  angustifolia,  233 
Xerophyllum  Douglasii,  29 
Xerophyllum  tenax,  29 
Yarrow,  Golden,  244 
Yellow  Beard-Tongue,  206 
Yellow  Daisy,  226 
Yellow  Fritillary,  26 
Yellow  Globe-tulip,  18 
Yellow  Lupine,  93 
Yellow  Monkey  Flower,  200 
Yellow  Sand  Verbena,  46 
Yellow  Violet,  121 


Yellow  Wild  Currant,  80 
Yerba  Buena,  177 
Yerba  del  Vaso,  219 
Yerba  Mansa,  38 
Yerba  Santa,  172 
Yucca  arborescens,  9 
Yucca  Whipplei,  8 
Yucca  Palm,  9 
Zauschneria  calif ornica,  130 
Zygadene,  27 
Zygadenus  Fremonti,  27 
Zygadenus  venenosus,  27 


286 


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